Hands up, who has been to Paris? Who’d like to go? And what is one of the number one destination for tourists in Paris. The Louvre, of course. Well, guess what? I saw some treasures from the Louvre today. In Abu Dhabi. Yes, that’s right. Right here in the Sandpit. Apparently, a new Louvre is being built, and it is scheduled to open in 2015. The plans look fabulous and there is already a small museum to introduce the bigger one to come, full of painted treasures by the likes of Picasso, Gauguin, Klee, Magritte, Mondrian and Twombly, as well as sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, tapestry and even a fascinating mobile by Alexander Calder. Appropriate to the educational mission of the Louvre Abu Dhabi - bridging and connecting cultures - two ancient religious texts, the Koran and the Pentateuch, sit side by side in one protective glass case. Entrance to the current exhibit - Birth of a Museum - is free, along with the narrated audio guide. Now I can’t wait for the whole Louvre Abu Dhabi to open. It’s going to be a beautiful place filled with beautiful things.
And now you know why I am late in posting this recipe. Let us tarry no longer. We have tart to bake!
Ingredients
1 rectangle rough puff pastry dough from this recipe
7 oz or 200g large grape or tiny Roma tomatoes
2 spring onions
2 cloves garlic
4 1/2 oz or 125g (drained) fresh mozzarella
3 1/2 oz or 100g feta
15 whole black olives
2 eggs lightly beaten
Sprinkle cayenne – optional
Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.
Roll out your chilled rough puff pastry, with a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
Laying your tart pan on top, cut a circle out of the dough with a sharp knife.
Transfer the circle of dough to the tart pan.
Fold the top under to neaten the edge.
Use a fork to dock the bottom and sides of the dough.
Pop this back in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
(Stack the leftover dough and wrap in cling film and freeze for later use. Don’t make it into a ball or you will lose your layers.)
Thinly slice your garlic, chop your green onions and crumble your feta cheese.
Pit your black olives and halve them and then halve the little tomatoes. In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Okay, now, in a larger mixing bowl, add in your tomatoes, olives, green onions, garlic and the beaten eggs. Stir to mix.
Fold in the feta.
Pour the mixture into your tart pan.
I like to straighten out the tomatoes and olives and make the rounded sides face up, because I think it’s prettier that way, but if you don’t care, skip this step. The flavor will be just as lovely. Probably.
Now slice the fresh mozzarella into little pieces and poke them in and around the tomatoes and olives.
Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper if desired.
If your tart pan has a removable bottom, you’ll want to put it on top of another pan before putting it in the oven. This will make it easier to remove from the oven when hot.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is nicely golden and the cheese on top is too.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove the tart pan. Slice into pieces.
Enjoy!