Roasted Beet Salad with Mâche, Green Beans, Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort

We are right in the thick of gearing up for Halloween night around here. For Glen and Max Halloween is one of the most important holidays of the year, right up there with Christmas and Max's birthday. They plot and plan possible costumes that Max might wear, they discuss how many fog machines and coloured lights will be needed and where these should be placed. They dig graves and get out the power tools and make head stones and graveyard crosses that they splatter with red paint. They trample every last flower, herb and vegetable in the front garden in their quest to hang fake cobwebs from the trees and fence posts. They meticulously position the mini wind machines that so gracefully blow the gauzy robes of the half dozen ghoulish monsters and demons dangling from the trees. There are cauldrons of dry ice and rolls of "do not cross" police tape and countless skeletons hanging about, vampires and black cats and of course a bunch of carved pumpkins too.

I buy the candy.

Last year when my neighbour complimented me on the Halloween decorations I admitted to her that I really had nothing to do with it, that it was all the hard work of  Max and Glen. She replied "Yeah, you can kind of tell. It doesn't have that matchy-matchy Martha Stewart vibe that you have going on..." Ouch!

Anyway, in addition to buying the candy, I also make the dinner.

Tonight we are having the grandparents and some friends over and since we will be consumed with running back and forth to the door to hand out the treats (we generally get around 200 kids) I need to keep it relatively simple. I am going to make a big pot of garlic pasta (to keep the vampires away) and a couple of mushroom and radicchio lasagnas (because my sweet friends Sheryl and Jenny dropped off some stunning Chanterelles that Jenny foraged for herself on the Sunshine Coast!) and the roasted beet salad that you see above.

Blood red beets seem appropriate for the holiday and this salad is great because all of the components can be prepped ahead of time. It can be served on a big platter family style, which is what I will do tonight, or individually plated for a more elegant approach.  And after all of those mini chocolate bars that I will inadvertently scarf down tonight, a few nutrient rich beets on the menu seems like a very good idea. Happy Halloween.

Roasted Beet Salad with Mâche, Green Beans, Toasted Walnuts and Roquefort Cheese

6 medium beets, washed well
1 1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 lb haricot verts
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup grape seed oil
1/3 cup cold pressed walnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb mâche salad or mixed greens or baby arugula, washed well and dried
1/3 lb blue cheese such as Roquefort (or even Stilton) broken or cut into 16 pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Bake until tender 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until soft and yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife. Cool, remove skins and cut into wedges or a large dice. Chill until needed.

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until they give off a nutty aroma. Do not allow the nuts to brown.

Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until tender 3 to 5 minutes. When the beans are done plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking process and set the colour.

For the vinaigrette whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the grape seed and walnut oils.

In a medium bowl toss the beets with some of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In another medium bowl toss the beans with some of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and set aside

In a third bowl dress the greens with some of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.

If serving the salad family style place the beets, greens, beans in separate piles on a large platter. Garnish with the toasted nuts and blue cheese. Serve.

If serving on individual plates place 1/8 of the beets in the centre of each of the salad plates. Top with a small bundle of the green beans and top with some of the mâche salad. Arrange 2 pieces of the cheese on each plate and top with a few of the toasted walnuts. Serve.

Serves 8.
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Fig Tarte Tatin

We luckily had a week long run of sunny weather which provided just enough warmth for some of the figs from our backyard tree to ripen. I mentioned in a previous post that seven years ago I picked out and planted a beautiful brown turkey fig tree that is a prolific producer of richly flavoured figs... as long as you live in California. The Vancouver summers are just not long or warm enough to guarantee an ample and consistent crop. Over the years my yields have increased (slightly) and on a good year I might get enough of these beauties to make jam, fig sauce for chicken and pork, figs for a half dozen pizzas with prosciutto and blue cheese and a fig tart or two. 

This year the pickings were pretty slim. When it was all said and done I probably ended up with a few dozen ripe figs. I really can't complain as I live in a neighbourhood where lovely figs are available at the corner greengrocer but there is something so special and inspiring about cooking with fruit that you have grown yourself. I have since planted two green Italian figs, which are far better suited to our climate, but will have to wait for a couple of years for my first crop to materialize. 

Having so few figs makes them all the more precious and so I decided to use some of this year's crop in one of my all time favourite fig recipes. This recipe is a take on the upside down apple tart known as tarte tatin that was invented so long ago by the Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline. 

My introduction to this fig tatin was at the hands of super talented pastry chef Rhonda Viani when I worked at the restaurant.  Rhonda is not only very gifted at her craft but sweet and funny and managed to make the long hours in the kitchen so much more enjoyable.  All of Rhonda's desserts were/are an amazing combination of stunning, jewel like beauty and seasonal, regional, delicious flavours. Her version of this lovely tart at the restaurant included a Sambuca ice cream but to keep things simple I have opted to serve this with a straightforward vanilla. The Sambuca still makes an appearance here though, tossed with the cut figs before they are layered into the individual baking dishes. Don't be afraid of the Sambuca, the flavour works beautifully with the caramelized figs and the puff pastry base.  As is Rhonda's style this recipe has very few ingredients but they really do need to be super fresh and of the highest quality. Enter the few, precious figs from my garden...

Fig Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream

4 x 5 inch circles puff pastry, thawed if frozen and docked with a fork and well chilled

12 fresh figs, quartered

1/4 cup Sambuca or other anise flavoured liqueur

Butter for greasing ramekins

Sugar for ramekins

Ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl gently toss the quartered figs with the 1/4 cup of Sambuca. Set aside. Butter and sugar four 4 1/2 inch ramekins or brûlée. Arrange the figs, skin side down in concentric circles.

Place a well chilled puff pastry round on top of the figs in each ramekins. The pastry will extend a bit beyond the ramekin but will shrink slightly during the baking of the tarts.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to cool slightly and then invert onto a serving plate. Serve immediately with the vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4.

Adapted from the Lumière cookbook.

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Mushroom Lasagna with Radicchio and Rosemary

My trip to the Trout Lake Farmer's Market this past Saturday morning was the highlight of the weekend. The weather was beautiful, both Max and Glen happily agreed to walk there with me, and once we arrived Glen even stood in line (he usually hates lineups) to buy me a ham and cheese buckwheat crêpe from the crêpe guy.

In addition to the great company there were all of the amazing fall fruits and vegetables on display.  I always like to do one walk through the market and check out what everyone is offering and then go back and do my buying on round two. I noticed that in addition to the the lady who sells the organic cultivated mushrooms there were two other guys selling some really wonderful wild chanterelle and pine mushrooms. I bought some from each vendor. Then I spied the most beautiful, vibrant elongated radicchio and it reminded me of a recipe that I used to make fairly often, a mushroom and radicchio lasagna with rosemary.

This recipe was passed on to me by my friend Molly who is a very, very good cook. Not in a show-offy kind of way but in a very thoughtful, simple yet deeply satisfying kind of way.  She shops and preps and cooks with care (and love) and this is what makes her food so special and delicious. (She also happens to be a furniture maker and owns a wonderful store in Vancouver called Molly's Furniture Salad).

This lasagna is based on a dish she had in Rome with her husband eleven years ago. Eleven years ago! Sometimes I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast.  Not only does Molly remember this meal vividly, like a culinary snapshot burned in her mind, but she still lights up with enthusiasm when asked to share the recipe.

I hadn't made it for some time and so I called her up for the recipe details. Off the top of her head she recited the ingredient list of onions, mushrooms, radicchio, rosemary, fresh lasagna noodles and cream and Parmesan (I think). With so few ingredients there is the the natural reaction to start adding extra stuff. What about sausage or spinach, tomatoes or goat cheese? All would be great BUT it really is a wonderful, delicious dish as is.


One of the things that appeals to me so much about this lasagna is its simplicity. Instead of making a béchamel or using ricotta cheese or tomatoes the sauce is accomplished simply by adding some cream to the sautéed onions, mushrooms and rosemary. Reduce ever so slightly and layer between fresh sheets of egg pasta and the radicchio and then bake. It must be said that the stunning colour of the radicchio is lost during the baking but what it looses in beauty it more than makes up for in depth of flavour. The pleasing bitter bite compliments the earthy mushrooms and rosemary perfectly.

I did add some Parmesan and a couple of cloves of garlic and I think I reduced the sauce just a bit more than Molly does but it was still very good. I used a mix of mushrooms but if I was feeling particularly flush I would love to try this using only chanterelles (at $14 per pound).  The initial version enjoyed in Rome so many years ago is slightly different again with the al dente cooked lasagna noodle draped over a small pool of cream on the plate and napped with some more of the sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. It seems like this would be an elegant way to serve it for a dinner party.

For this more rustic version I served it alongside an arugula salad topped with toasted pine nuts. Simple, seasonal and deeply satisfying.

Mushroom Lasagna with Radicchio and Rosemary

2 lbs mushrooms (I used a mix of Chanterelles, Pine, Oyster, and Shiitake), brushed clean, tough stems removed and sliced. I left my pieces on the larger side but uniform so they cooked evenly.
1 onion, medium dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
2 cups of radicchio, cored and sliced
1 3/4 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano
6 sheets of fresh, egg lasagna noodles (mine measured 4 1/2 x 14 and came to about 3/4 of a pound)
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large sauté pan melt the butter and add the olive oil and chopped onions. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and translucent but take care not to allow them to brown. Add in the minced  garlic and the rosemary and cook, stirring for a minute or two until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the mushrooms and 3/4 teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cook the mushrooms until they become soft and release their juices approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the cream and increase the heat to medium-high and allow the cream to come to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Check and adjust seasonings. The longer you simmer the thicker your sauce and the "drier" the lasagna.  This is all about personal preference, just don't make your mushrooms sauce too thick or there won't be any liquid to cook your noodles. Also, keep in mind the sauce will further reduce in the oven.

Using a baking dish that measures 9 x 15, spoon 1/2 cup of the mushroom mixture into the base of the dish. Top the mushroom mixture with two of your pasta sheets, 1 cup of the mushroom mixture, 1 cup of the sliced radicchio and 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano . Repeat. Top the third layer of noodles with all of the remaining mushroom mixture and 3/4 of a cup of cheese. A couple of grinds of black pepper works well here.

Bake, uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the cheese has melted and the lasagna is bubbling. Allow to rest for 5 or so minutes before cutting. Serve hot!

Serves 6.
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A Trip to the Farmer's Market

Quince, destined for jam.

It was a truly glorious weekend here in Vancouver. Sunny skies, time with my beautiful family, our dog happy to be home after a two day stint at the vet, dinner with friends and an inspirational trip to the farmer's market on Saturday afternoon. Here are some photos of what I picked up, all of which will be making an appearance in some upcoming recipes... soon!

 Butternut squash, destined for ravioli with mascarpone cheese and fried sage leaves.

Radicchio, destined for a wild mushroom lasagna with rosemary, cream and Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Cipollini onions, destined for cipollini agrodolce with roasted chicken.

Celeriac, destined for celeriac rémoulade.

Chanterelle mushrooms, destined for a wild mushroom lasagna with radicchio, rosemary, cream and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Happy Monday! Happy cooking!

Salmon Provençal

Sorry that it has been a bit quiet around here the last while. Truth is, I have barely cooked in two weeks so there was very little to share. 

Last week Glen had a hiatus from work and so the two of us took a mini vacation to Las Vegas. Now, Las Vegas is not at the top of my list of vacation destinations. However...  Glen loves Vegas. And I love Glen. And so I go with Glen to Las Vegas.

As I am not a lucky gambler I try to keep myself as far away from the tables/slot machines as possible. I tend to do a lot of walking, a bit of shopping, some people watching and make sure that I bring a good book with me. When I am not walking/shopping/watching/reading I am most certainly eating. I have been going to Las Vegas with Glen for 15 years (how's that for love!) and while some things never seem to change in Sin City the culinary scene has undergone a dramatic transformation. The days of choosing between the 99 cent shrimp cocktail and the midnight buffet are over. Now the challenge is to decide whether you want to eat in a restaurant whose menu was designed by Thomas Keller, Joel Robouchon, Alain Ducasse or Michael Mina. For our three night visit we checked out Bouchon at The Venetian, Circo at The Bellagio and Mix and THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. We ate, drank, savoured and enjoyed every mouthful. Then we came home and rolled right into Thanksgiving weekend. Cut to a rapidly expanding waistline...

For the last few years we have gone for our turkey dinner to my Mother-in-law's house who is an amazing cook. Anneliese manages to put on a delicious meal for the entire family and always makes it seem so effortless.  Glen's sister, Kerstin, always makes Thanksgiving dessert, which is pumpkin pie with a pecan, praline crust. This is the best pumpkin pie that I have ever, ever tasted. There would be a family riot if she ever decided to opt out on this one and thankfully she always makes a couple of pies so that we can take a piece home to go with our coffee in the morning. 

As you can imagine, such a week of eating, eating and then more eating took a bit of a toll on my digestive system not to mention my waistline. Getting back into my own kitchen on Monday I was craving fresh salads and crunchy fruit and something healthy for dinner that was still full of flavour. This salmon provençal paired with a crunchy Bibb lettuce salad was perfect. The garlic and tomatoes are gently poached in some olive oil. Add in a pinch of hot chilli flakes, some pitted Niçoise olives, a few capers and some fresh basil and serve with a roasted fillet of salmon. My kind of delicious, simple health food. 

Salmon Provençal
1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 or 2 medium garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup pitted Niçoise olives
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 tablespoons basil, thinly sliced
4 salmon fillets, approximately 6 ounces each
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Pea shoots to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a cooling rack that is over a baking sheet. Once the oven has preheated roast the fillets until the fish just begins to flake, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan place the cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic and Niçoise olives with the extra virgin olive oil and heat over low heat. Add the capers and chilli flakes and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes or so until the garlic and tomatoes are beginning to soften. Season with pepper and a bit of salt if needed (with the olives and the capers it may be salty enough). Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

To serve, spoon a couple of tablespoons of the tomato mixture over each of the salmon fillets. Garnish with pea shoots if desired.

Serves 4.
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Upside-Down Italian Prune Plum Tart

My neighbourhood in Vancouver is fondly known as "The Drive" and living just off of Commercial Drive has a number of culinary perks. For one, there are 19 coffee bars in the span of 22 blocks and so a very good espresso is always just a block or two away. The very best Parmigiano Reggiano in all of the city (in my humble opinion) can be found a mere 5 blocks from my house and then there is the amazing array of imported pastas and prosciutto, smoked meats and fragrant olive oils to be had. At Norman's Market, which is just a block away, the fall figs are now in great abundance and the tiny artichokes and bulbs of fall fennel and fuzzy, fragrant quince are beginning to appear. And then there are the Italian prune plums.

We have a tree in our garden but this year it yielded no plums. This happens every few years and makes me feel just a little bit sad but I have learned that a barren year often yields a bumper crop in the following season. So I am patient and in the off years and I head down the street to Norman's Fruits and Vegetables and pick up some of these tart/sweet beauties and pair them with everything from grilled meats to ice cream. However, this upside-down tart is one of my favourite ways to incorporate them, baked with a spiced, tender cake and topped with some whipping cream and accompanied by a cup of tea. This is a lovely cake to have on hand during the week when you may have a friend stop in for coffee/tea or to end a rustic, informal dinner.


The tart is formed from a base of cut prune plums placed on top of some melted butter which is  evenly sprinkled light brown sugar. On top of this is a cardamom and nutmeg scented cake batter. Bake for an hour, allow to rest for an hour and turn upside down to allow the jewel like plums to shine on the top while the tart/sweet juices run down the cake.  The tart/cake keeps well for a few days so can be nibbled on for breakfast after the kids have been dropped off at school or in the afternoon for a pick me up with a cup of tea or, if you are like me, a double shot of espresso to power you through the rest of the day. I tend to make this cake a whole bunch of times when the prune plums are in season as I love the play between the tartness of the plums and the sweetness of the cake. It is not a fancy tart but a deeply satisfying one...

Upside-Down Italian Prune Plum Tart

10 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature plus more for greasing the pan
1/3 cup, packed light brown sugar
20-22 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch round spring-form pan and line it with parchment paper.

Melt two tablespoons of butter and pour it into the pan on top of the parchment paper. Sprinkle the light brown sugar evenly over the butter and then arrange the halved and pitted Italian plums, cut side down on top of the brown sugar. Ensure that you tightly pack the plum halves in as they will shrink during baking.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and the granulated sugar until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated and then add in the vanilla extract. Add half of the flour mixture and beat until well combined. Add in the sour cream and then add in the remaining flour mixture.

Pour in the cake batter on top of the plums and using an offset spatula evenly spread the cake mixture over the plums.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices and transfer to the preheated oven baking approximately 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean after inserting it into the middle of the tart.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour and then remove the ring and invert the tart onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 10.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes
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Onion Tarts with Tomato Confit, Goat Cheese and Pesto

The birthday party for my parents on Sunday night was a big success. They invited some very lovely friends, and there was plenty of animated conversation, lots of laughs, a few cocktails, and some good food. Mom and Dad were happy.

We started out with some drinks and a few hors d'oeuvres. As I get older I have come to realize that less really is more when it comes to the appetizers. You don't want people to be so stuffed from the array of snacks presented that they feel overwhelmed by the time the first course arrives before them. You really do want people to feel a bit hungry when they sit down at the table.

We started the dinner with these savory, fresh and seasonal tarts. The crunch of the flaky puff pastry combined with the sweetness of the caramelized onions, the silky texture of the tomato confit and the melted goat cheese and the herbal hit of the basil pesto is really wonderful. These are a substantial first course yet still light and can be scaled down to be served as an amuse bouche or as an hors d'oeuvre. These are perfect as a light lunch as well.

There are a few steps involved in this recipe but many can be done ahead of time. Make the tomato confit and your caramelized onions the day (or two) before and then it is easy to bake off the puff pastry rounds in the morning and assemble the tarts just before serving. If you happen to have any leftover tomato confit you can always use it up in salads, sandwiches, pizzas or omelettes. Or you could put it in a little jar and give it as a present to someone you like (or love) as a gift. I always love food gifts...

Onion Tarts with Tomato Confit, Goat Cheese and Pesto

Both the tomato confit and the caramelized onions can be made up to two days before serving.

For the tomato confit:

14 Roma tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

6 sprigs of thyme

2 large or 4 small fresh bay leaves

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the caramelized onions:

4 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

6 sprigs of thyme, tied in a bundle with kitchen string

Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the tarts:

1 pre-rolled sheet of puff pastry, thawed if frozen
150 grams of goat cheese or other soft cheese such as Boursin
2/3 cup basil pesto
6 sprigs of fresh basil for garnish

For the tomatoes:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Place a medium pot, filled with water, on high heat and bring to a boil. Core the tomatoes and with a sharp pairing knife cut an X into the base of each tomato. This will aid in the peeling of the tomatoes once they have been blanched.

Prepare and ice bath and set aside.

Once the water is boiling blanche the tomatoes (you may need to do this in two or three batches depending on the size of your pot) the tomatoes for 5 to 10 seconds. You don't want to cook the tomatoes at this stage just heat them enough that the tomato skins easily slip off. Remove the tomatoes into your prepared ice bath and allow to cool. If the skins don't come off easily you can re-blanche them until they do.

Peel the tomatoes and then cut them lengthwise. Using a melon baller remove the seeds from the tomatoes and place in a oven proof dish, in a single layer, cut side up. Season with coarse salt and pepper and sprinkle the sliced garlic on top. Place the bay leaves and thyme sprigs on top and pour the olive oil over the top of the tomatoes.

Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the tomatoes are soft but not falling apart.

If making ahead, allow the onions to cool and then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

For the caramelized onions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and season with some salt and pepper. Add the thyme bundle and sauté over medium heat stirring, using a wooden spoon, occasionally. The onions will initially become translucent and then slowly start to brown. Turn heat down to medium low and continue to cook  slowly until onions begin to turn a dark brown. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. You will need to stir the onions frequently and ensure that you scrape the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon to prevent burning. When the onions have reached a beautiful deep brown colour remove from the heat and discard the thyme bundle. Check and adjust seasoning. If making ahead, allow the onions to cool and then place in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

For the puff pastry rounds (or squares):

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unfold the pastry and place on a lightly floured work surface. Place a 4 inch ring form or a small upturned bowl or even make yourself a template out hard plastic that measures 4 inches in diameter and cut out 6 rounds from the sheet of pastry. You could always just cut them into 4 inch squares if you don't have a 4 inch round form etc. Place pastry rounds/squares on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat and then if you have another silpat place that on top of the pastry rounds. The weight of the silpat will limit the amount of rise the puff pasty will do while baking in the hot oven. We want the pastry to puff up but not so much that we have a sky high tart base. If you don't have a silpat then just prick the pastry all over with a fork before they go into the oven.

Bake the tarts for approximately 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.

To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet place the pre-baked pastry rounds. Top with some of the caramelized onions (about 2 tablespoons or so per tart), then some goat cheese (again a tablespoon or two depending on personal taste) and finally place two to three of the pieces of the tomato confit depending on their size. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or so until all of the components are heated through and the cheese is melting.

To serve:
On each of the six serving plates place two tablespoons of pesto and using a spoon spread the pesto out in a circular pattern to line the base of each plate. Top with the warmed tarts and garnish with some black pepper and a sprig of basil. Serve warm.

Serves 6.
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