Say it with cheese, they say . . . so imagine the message you can send with a Gruyère reserve tart, writes DOMINI KEMP
CHEESE IS MY big downfall. I could happily gorge on good cheese and bread forever, with a few bits of fruit and quince jelly thrown in. But my tastes used to run a little more trailer park when I was a wee lass. I used to have a terrible thing for what I still call “plastic” cheese, the luminous orange sheets of heavily processed stuff which looked like it was made from the same DNA as Sunny Delight. Back when I lived on the other side of the Atlantic, I used to make my culinary creations out of Wonder Bread (which was indeed a wonder as it never went mouldy – don’t ask why), plastic cheese and American bacon (so salty and crisp) in a little toaster oven which was nifty for baking or grilling cheese sambos. They were simply fabulous.
Thankfully, but rather reluctantly, I have moved on. There’s a Gruyère reserve cheese from Sheridan’s that costs a small fortune, but is well worth every delicious bite.
It even has those crystals in it which form in some cheeses as moisture levels drop during the ageing process.
It really imparts an unctuous, nutty flavour, and when I taste it, I am reminded what a great food cheese is. Although I hate to use such a fine cheese in a tart (I’d rather eat it on its own), it is well worth it as you should make these tarts as a special treat for someone you’re very fond of. But, needless to say, use whatever cheese you love.
The second dish is one that definitely tastes better than it looks in any photo. It’s a good veggie dish that you could serve on toast, in a bowl with warm naan bread, or on a spoonful of soft lentils of some description.
There have been quite a few nippy nights recently, and this dish has a little fire in it, as well as vibrant colours that remind us we’re due a good summer.
If you don’t have creamed coconut in your cupboard, you could always use a splash of coconut milk. Or, if you prefer, you could chuck in four or five tablespoons of crème fraÏche and up the quantity of herbs and spices, possibly adding a few teaspoons of sugar to give some sweetness that you would have gotten from the coconut.
Spinach, sorrel Gruyère tart
(If you can’t get sorrel, just use all spinach.)
4 x 12cm tart tins
A few sheets of filo pastry
300g spinach
100g sorrel
3 eggs
200ml cream
Grated nutmeg (optional)
½ tsp cayenne
250g grated Gruyère
Salt and pepper
100g pine nuts, lightly toasted
50g melted butter
Set the oven to 200 degrees/gas six, then take a few sheets of filo pastry out of the packet. Keep them covered with a tea-towel and unravel them as they thaw. Don’t worry too much if they break up a bit, but keep them covered.
Remove any stalky bits if you’re using big-leaf spinach. Ignore if you’re using the baby stuff. Blanch the sorrel and spinach together in boiling water for a few seconds and then drain and squeeze the living daylights out of it, using a clean tea towel. If you’re using baby spinach, just wilt it with a knob of butter, but do dry it out just as thoroughly. Roughly chop up the greens and set aside.
Beat the eggs, add the cream, nutmeg and cayenne. Mix well, then add the cheese and season.
Brush the tart tins with a little melted butter and place on a baking tray. Line the tins with squares of filo pastry that you’ve cut, so that the sheets slightly hang over the edges. Do about five layers of filo in each tin and brush the sheets generously and regularly with melted butter. You may have to “patch” any gaps.
Spoon equal amounts of the good, solid stuff (spinach, sorrel and cheese) into each tin and distribute evenly.
Carefully spoon the egg mixture over and scatter the pine nuts on top. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The topping should be golden brown. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, carefully remove from the tins and serve with a crisp green salad.
Roast tomato curry
40g butter
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
Big knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
6-7 curry leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
5 cardamom seeds
75g creamed coconut
Salt and pepper
10 tomatoes, cut in half, horizontally
Squeeze of lime juice
Bunch of coriander
Preheat an oven to 180 degrees/gas four. Sweat the butter and onion till soft, then add the garlic, ginger, chilli, curry leaves, cumin and cardamom. Cook over gentle heat for about five minutes to help release all the lovely oils and aromas. Mix some boiling water with the creamed coconut (about five tablespoons) and then add to the saucepan. Taste and season. Place the tomatoes, skin side down, in a large gratin dish. Spoon the sauce over the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. Allow to cool for a bit, then squeeze some lime juice on top and tear up some coriander, garnish and serve. dkemp@irishtimes.com.
See also www.itsa.ie