food+drink

Cheese, Ham & Veggie Tart Thing

Here’s another variation on the flat tart theme – alternatively it’s a variation on pizza as it uses a base of tomato sauce and cheese.

Cheese, Ham & Veggie Tart Thing

Serves: 4 as a main course, or 6-8 as a starter or finger food

For Quick Tomato Sauce
100g Double Concentrate Tomato Paste
2tbs Garlic Puree
1tbsp Worcs Sauce
1tbsp Olive Oil
½tsp Porcini Powder
Black Pepper

For the Topping
lots of grated Cheddar Cheese
4 or 5 Tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 large Shallot, or a small Red Onion, finely sliced
80g Ham, sliced into 1cm pieces
Vegetable topping of your choice**
bunch Fresh Herbs of your choice (optional)
freshly ground Black Pepper

For the Base
500g pack Puff Pastry
Milk to glaze

** I used a few spears of purple sprouting broccoli (‘cos that’s what I had to hand) but you could use asparagus, sliced pepper, mushrooms or whatever you choose. And then add olives, anchovies, capers if such is your predilection. If you want a veggie option, leave out the ham.

This is What You Do

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together all the tomato sauce ingredients until well blended.
  3. Prepare a 30cm square baking sheet (or similar). I always line the baking sheet with a piece of baking parchment, stuck down with 4 or 5 tiny dabs of butter: the butter stops the parchment sliding around, makes removing the tart easier, and the baking sheet easier to wash.
  4. Roll out the pastry to a size slightly larger than the baking sheet.
  5. Put the pastry on the baking sheet, dampen the edges with milk and roll them over to make an edge.
  6. Spread the tomato sauce over the pastry, followed by a layer of cheese.
  7. Then the onion, ham and herbs; followed by more cheese, the tomatoes and the veg.
  8. Season with black pepper and brush the edges of the tart with milk to glaze.
  9. Bake, covered with foil for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and give it another 10 minutes or so until cooked and golden brown – you want the pastry and veg cooked.
  10. Serve hot or warm as a starter, main course, or supper with a glass of red wine. Or cold for a buffet. Any leftovers make a tasty lunch (or breakfast).

Sorry, no photo because we ate it!