Many years ago, in our youth, we were very cultured children. We would go to the Karolos Koun Art Theatre, to the Pallas, Attikon or Apollon cinemas to see Truffaut and Bergman (always the first screening), and we read Tsirkas, Lountemis and Vasilikos. Often, after the cinema or the theatre we ended up at ‘Strofilia’, at that time the first—and perhaps only—wine bar in Athens, in Karytsis Square, where two or three discerning friends had discovered the beauty of drinking a good wine with a suitable platter of cheeses, as well as other delicacies.
At that time, I had no idea that my career would find me, for 28 whole years, in the world of beer, wine and alcoholic beverages. Cooking has always been a hobby and more recently it has become a source of creativity and enjoyment. In combination with a glass of good wine, a meal, a dinner or a simple snack can be transformed into something wonderfully delicious!
So today it is with great pleasure that I respond to the invitation from the lovely Maria Maltezou, and give you one of my favourite recipes, which is both easy to prepare and very tasty. It is a tart that can be served as a starter or as a main dish, and it goes perfectly with a refreshing glass of Crazy Birds Rosé or with a chilled white wine such as ‘Strofilia Estate, Malagouzia’!
Goat cheese tart with tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
For the dough
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g fresh, unsalted, frozen butter cut into small cubes
- 50 ml chilled water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk (set aside the egg white to glaze the tart)
- 1-2 tbsp. grated cheese
- Salt and a little freshly ground pepper
For the filling
- 250 g sour cream (35%)
- 250 g Goat cheese (the one that looks like a tree trunk on supermarket cheese counters) cut into slices around 1 cm thick
- you can replace the goat cheese —which might be a bit salty— with 1-2 packs of Brie or Camembert cheese cut into pieces
- a pinch of pepper
- half bunch of chives, finely chopped
- (if not available, use the tender green part of 1 or 2 spring onions, cut into very thin slices)
- 2 eggs
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes, cut in half or 2 large firm tomatoes cut into slices 1 cm thick. After cutting leave on absorbent paper to drain a little.
Method
1. Add flour, salt, pepper along with the butter in the bucket of a bread maker and mix with the dough hook until the butter separates and is covered by the flour. Add the chilled water, the egg yolk and the grated cheese. Continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough is formed that doesn’t stick to the bucket. If it feels moist and sticky, gradually add flour (1 tbsp. or as required). If it is dry and brittle, add 1 tbsp. chilled water or as required). Wrap the dough in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for half an hour to an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Grease a 28 cm diameter pie tin with butter and lightly sprinkle it all over with flour.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of greaseproof paper, transfer it to the pie tin with the rolling pin, and spread it out with the fingers so that it sticks well to the sides of the pie tin. Use a fork to pierce the bottom of the tart and with a brush coat the surface with egg white which has been gently beaten.
- (Use any excess dough to form some savoury biscuits and sprinkle them with a little grated cheese and either oregano, cumin, nutmeg or pepper, and bake in the oven).
4. Bake the base of the tart for between 20 & 30 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Take care that the dough does not slide down the sides of the pan; if this happens briefly open the oven and use a fork to push it back into place. Another method is to cover the dough with greaseproof paper weighed down with e.g. lentils, rice or beans—which are subsequently thrown away or kept for similar use on another occasion.
5. In the meantime prepare the filling. Cut the cheese into slices, slice the tomatoes/cherry tomatoes, finely chop the chives and prepare the cream.
6. After the tart dough is baked (which can be done the day before), lay out the cheese slices on it symmetrically. Place the cherry tomatoes in between or else spread the tomato slices on top. In a bowl, or preferably a measuring jug, beat the eggs, add the cream and chives, season with salt and pepper, and mix well till the mixture bonds, and then place the pie tin back in the oven before pouring the prepared mixture over it. This is because the pie tin is usually shallow and when carrying it, there is a risk of spilling the liquid filling onto the floor!
7. Bake for about half an hour or until there is a nice golden colour over the whole surface.
8. Let the tart sit for 10-15 minutes after removing it from the oven, before cutting and serving. The perfect accompaniment is a baby rocket salad, roasted pine nuts and a balsamic vinaigrette, and one of the wines recommended above.
Good luck and bon appetit!
