Goats Cheese and Onion Chutney Tart Recipe Suitable for Vegetarians: Easy to Make Pastry and Simple Homemade Chutney

These delightful goats cheese tarts are perfect for a starter, snack, a light lunch or supper. Serve hot or cold with or without a mixed leaf salad.

The first step is to make the pastry for the base. A food processor comes in very handy at this stage. I highly recommend investing in a processor if you like to make pastry and like to make it often.

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of plain flour (plus extra for dusting and rolling)
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 100 grams of cold butter, diced into small cubes

Method:

• Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor, pulse to make a fine crumb (Fig 1).
• Add in the egg and pulse two to three times roughly combining the mix (Fig 2).
• Turn the mixture onto a floured surface; at this stage the mix will still be loose (Fig 3).
• With floured palms, gently knead the mix into a smooth round ball (Fig 4). This method prevents the pastry from being over worked.
• Wrap the pastry ball in cling wrap and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes or longer.

Cook's Tip:

• The pastry can be made up to this stage three days before; wrap in cling film and store in the fridge ready to use. The pastry can also be frozen at this stage for up to three months.

Onion Chutney Recipe

While the pastry is chilling in the fridge use that time to make the onion chutney. You will need the following ingredients...

Ingredients:

• 2 medium red onions finely diced
• 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tbsp of fine brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of good olive oil
• 2 to 3 tbsp of cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

Method:

• Heat the olive oil to a moderate heat in a pan, add in the onions, cooking till soft and translucent.
• Add the thyme sprigs and sprinkle in the sugar, a little at a time till the onions are coated nice and evenly.
• Add in the red wine vinegar and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the chutney thickens.
• Spoon in the cranberry sauce and mix well to combine.

Cook's Tip:

• The chutney can be made up to three days before hand; store in an airtight container in the fridge till required.
• If you want to make a large batch of chutney remember to sterilise the jars, and your chutney will keep for months.
• Recycle glass jars and their lids (jam jars, mustard jars, mayonnaise jars,) and use them to store your homemade chutneys.
• Place sticky labels on each jar naming and dating the homemade chutneys.

To bake the tartlets you will need:

• Four individual buttered tart trays about 12cm in diameter
• A rolling pin
• One egg, well beaten
• Baking paper
• Baking beans or rice

Method:

• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, making sure not to over work the pastry.
• Cut the pastry into 4 circles (use one of the tart trays as a guide).
• Line each of the tart trays with a pastry circle.
• Trim the edges of the pastry leaving 2 or 3mm of pastry over the tray rim.
• Cover each pastry lined tray with baking parchment.
• Fill with baking beans (or rice if using) and bake for 10 mins in a preheated oven 200º C/ Gas mark 6.
• Take the pastry lined trays out of the oven, carefully remove the parchment paper and the baking beans.
• Brush each of the pastry cases with the beaten egg.
• Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180º C/ Gas mark 4.
• Return the pastry to the oven for another 4 to 5 minutes till the pastry is a light golden in color.

The cranberries in this receipe work very well with the red onions adding a sweetness that really compliments the saltiness of the goats cheese. Adding a couple of spoons of cranberry sauce is a cheats trick and a great secret.

Shhh... don't tell a soul!

Ingredients:

• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 spring onions finely diced
• Goats cheese sliced into rings
• Balsamic glaze (use a squirt bottle)

Method:

• Fill each pastry case with a good spoon of chutney.
• Place the goats cheese circles on top.
• Sprinkle over the spring onions.
• Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, till the cheese is just golden.
• Drizzle the balsamic glaze across medium sized plates to create a decorative pattern.
• Take the tarts out of the oven and remove the pastries from the tart trays.
• Place each tartlet on a glazed plate and top with a thyme sprig.
• Serve warm or enjoy cold.