Little Wild Sorrel And Herb Tarts With Melted Goats Cheese Recipes

GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until the dough becomes crumbly. Don't overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.
• Scatter the cooked shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

LITTLE WILD SORREL AND HERB TARTS WITH MELTED GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C (325F, Gas mark 3). For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and bind with the egg, then allow it to rest for half an hour. Roll out the pastry and line six individual tart tins or 1 large tin.
• Wash the spinach, sorrel and herbs if necessary and dry them well. Shred the spinach and sorrel. Heat a pan with a little oil and stir fry the spinach and sorrel until it collapses. Remove from the pan and spread out on a plate to allow it to cool quickly.
• Chop the herbs, crush a sliver of garlic and place in a bowl with the eggs and cream. Add the spinach and sorrel, the seasoning and the nutmeg. Spoon into the tarts. Cook in the oven until the egg mixture is just set, about 15-20 minutes. They do not need to be fully cooked. Allow to cool.
• To serve, take the tarts out of the tins and place on an oven tray. Increase the oven heat to 200C (400F, Gas mark 6). Place a thick slice of the goat's cheese on the top of each tart and put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves.

SORREL-WRAPPED GOAT CHEESE AND BEET STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Wrap beets in foil in 2 packages (3 per package) and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut off stems and root ends. Halve beets crosswise and arrange, cut sides down, on a work surface. Cut out a cylinder from each half with cookie cutter. Halve each cylinder lengthwise, then cut crosswise into generous 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Line a tray with plastic wrap and brush plastic wrap with some oil. Cut cheese logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices with an oiled knife, then halve slices. Arrange cheese slices in 1 layer on tray and brush with some oil, then top each with a slice of beet.
• Arrange sorrel leaf halves, veined sides up, on work surface. Put a cheese and beet stack in middle of each leaf half, then wrap sorrel over stack and secure with a pick.

SWEET LEMON & GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20cm loose-bottom tart tin, about 3-4cm deep. Chill for 30 mins. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
• Bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans. Brush the inside of the tart with a little of the beaten egg, then return to the oven for 5 mins to crisp. Remove and reduce heat to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• Stir the zest, juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then beat in the remaining eggs and crème fraîche. Tip into a jug. Put the tart case on a baking sheet in the oven and pour in the lemon mixture. Sprinkle over the goat's cheese, then bake for 1 hour-1 hour 10 mins, until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm or cold, topped with fruit.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 10 or 11-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Prick dough all over with a fork and chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake tart shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until almost cooked through but still pale.
• In a food precessor blend cheeses, yolks, flour, and butter until smooth. Stir in chopped herbs and pour filling into tart shell. Bake tart 20 minutes, or until filling is just set. Sprinkle tart with herb leaves and continue baking until filling and crust are pale golden. Cool tart in pan on a rack and remove rim. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

INSPIRATIONAL GOAT'S CHEESE ON GARLIC CIABATTA TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Arrange the whole heads of garlic snugly in an oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for about an hour, or until the garlic is softened.
• Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skins into a small dish or bowl. Add enough olive oil to make a thick paste and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Slice some goats' cheese thinly. Cut the ciabatta in half and place under the grill to toast then spread the slices with the garlic paste. Place the goats' cheese on top and pop under the grill again until the cheese has melted.
• Serve with on a bed of fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. I often add a couple of slices of prosciutto, too.

HERBED GOAT'S CHEESE & SUMMER VEG TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unroll the pastry and cut it into 4 rectangles. Score a border about 2cm in from the edge of each piece, then lift onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Mash the goat's cheese with the herbs, plus some seasoning. Spread over the middles of the tarts.
• Overlap the courgette and tomato slices on top of the cheese, then scatter with the olives and thyme leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg. Bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is dark golden and the vegetables are starting to sizzle.
• Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and honey to make a dressing, then season to taste. Toss with the watercress just before serving.