GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA TARTS
For some time now I’ve taken to keeping a batch of our Revenge Cream Cheese Pastry in the freezer. Which means it's always on stand-by to make one of these quick and tasty Pizza Tarts.
But given the pastry takes just a few minutes to whip up in a food processor, it’s pretty easy to make on the spur of the moment anyway.
Roll it out, top it with good fresh flavours as we’ve suggested here - Tomato and Gruyere, Kabocha and Bacon, and Asparagus and Ham - and bake.
But do feel free to ad-lib, according to what you have on hand and what you like.
Jan
TOMATO AND GRUYERE PIZZA TART
Serves 6 as a casual starter
½ portion of Revenge Cream Cheese Pastry
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
100 gm gruyere cheese, grated
2 golden shallots, finely diced
2 tablespoons finely diced herbs: parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
3-4 ripe Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced on an angle, cores discarded
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Pinch chilli flakes
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Remove pastry from fridge and allow to soften.
Roll between two sheets of baking paper to make a rustic oval shape (or rectangle if you prefer) roughly 20cm x 30cm and ½cm thick.
Transfer pastry to an oven tray, remove the top sheet of baking paper and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove pastry from oven. Place baking paper over the pastry and use another baking tray to flip the pastry over.
Remove the baking paper from the top side then spread the mustard over the pastry base.
Sprinkle the gruyere over the top, scatter with shallots and diced herbs.
Place tomatoes on top of the herbs, overlapping the slices to cover well as they will shrink.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until pastry is golden and tomatoes cooked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Cut tart in half lengthwise, then across into fingers about 2cm wide. Serve immediately.
TIP:
If pastry has been frozen, allow to defrost for 90 minutes. If time allows defrost pastry overnight in the fridge, remove then allow 10 - 15 minutes to soften before rolling.
KABOCHA AND BACON PIZZA TART
400 gm kabocha (Jap) pumpkin, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
12 long thin rashers streaky bacon, rind removed (about 300gm)
50 ml vincotto or aged balsamic vinegar
Baby basil leaves
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Drizzle pumpkin with olive oil, season well and roast, turning once or twice, until golden and very soft, about 40 - 50 minutes.
Allow to cool a little, remove skin, then mash pumpkin with a fork until smooth. Season to taste.
Remove pastry from the fridge and allow to soften.
Roll between two sheets of baking paper to make a rustic oval shape (or rectangle if you prefer) roughly 20cm x 30cm and ½cm thick.
Transfer pastry to an oven tray, remove the top sheet of baking paper and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove pastry from oven. Place baking paper over the pastry and use another baking tray to flip the pastry over.
Remove the baking paper from the top side then spread the pureed pumpkin over the pastry base.
Trim bacon to the width of the pastry with the sides overhanging a little and lay the slices across, on top of the pumpkin.
Bake for 10 minutes, then drizzle with vincotto. Bake for another 10 minutes or until pastry is golden and bacon crisp.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Top with basil leaves. Cut in half lengthways, then into 2cm strips. Serve immediately.
ASPARAGUS AND HAM PIZZA TART
½ portion Revenge Cream Cheese Pastry
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced with ½ teaspoon salt
150 gm aged cheddar, grated
15 gm butter
250 gm diced ham or speck
220 gm asparagus (2 bunches), trimmed and blanched
Fresh thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Remove pastry from the fridge and allow to soften.
Roll pastry between two sheets of baking paper to make a rustic oval shape (or rectangle if you prefer) roughly 20cm x 30cm and ½cm thick.
Transfer pastry to an oven tray, remove the top sheet of baking paper and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Place baking paper over the pastry and use another baking tray to flip the pastry over.
Whisk the eggs until well combined, adding the yogurt, garlic and salt, and whisking until smooth. Add half the cheese and stir to combine.
Melt the butter in a frypan over medium/high heat. Add ham and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon and add the asparagus to the pan, turning to coat the in the remaining butter.
Transfer the yogurt filling to the pastry sheet, spreading and smoothing the mixture across the surface.
Place the asparagus spears across the pastry. Scatter with the ham and sprinkle with remaining cheddar and thyme leaves.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until filling is set and pastry is golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Cut the tart in half lengthwise, then across into 2cm strips. Serve at once.