Salada lahaniki tarta
This simple yet handsome tart relies on classic sunshine flavours and colours to create a quick and delicious bite to eat. It works wonderfully as a light lunch with just a few dressed green leaves on the side, or can be popped on the table for all to share. I buy ready-made puff pastry and, if I’m totally honest, I usually grab the pre-rolled variety for utter convenience as well. Sometimes you just have to be a little Machiavellian about things!
SERVES 6–8
350 g/12 oz. ready-made puff pastry
1 courgette/zucchini
½ aubergine/eggplant
½ red Romano pepper, deseeded 1/4 red onion
A generous pinch of Greek dried oregano
A generous pinch of ground cumin 12 baby plum tomatoes
50 g/1 3/4 oz. halloumi cheese
2 tablespoons pine nut kernels
1 tablespoon Greek honey
125 g/1/2 cup Greek yogurt
70 g/2 1/2 oz. feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
A few sprigs of basil, to garnish (Greek basil if available)
25 x 38-cm/10 x 15-inch baking sheet, lined with baking parchment
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.
Roll out the puff pastry (if necessary) so that it fi ts snugly on the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, lightly score all the way round about 2.5 cm/1 inch inside the edge of the puff pastry and bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the pastry has puffed up and started to turn golden. Once the puff pastry is cooked, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly, before gently pushing down the centre of the pastry, leaving you with a little ‘collar’ around the edge.
To prepare the filling, dice the courgette, aubergine and pepper into about 2.5-cm/1-inch cubes and thinly slice the red onion. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season generously with the oregano, cumin and salt and pepper, and roast in the oven on a separate baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Quarter the baby plum tomatoes, grate the halloumi cheese and add both to the roasted vegetables, along with the pine nuts and honey.
When you are ready to assemble, dot the puff pastry base with a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt and then distribute the mixed vegetables over the top, including on top of the yogurt. Try to keep the vegetables in one layer; if they are overloaded it will go a little soggy. Finally, crumble the feta in chunks on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for a further 10 minutes just to help all the ingredients snuggle up together.
Once cooked, let it cool slightly and then garnish with a scattering of basil leaves and a good turn of black pepper.
Excerpted from Orexi! by Theo A. Michaels, published by Ryland Peters & Small (CAN $26.95). Photography by Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small. Used with permission from the publisher.
This original recipe first appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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