Tomato & Feta Tart

with Almond Crust 

​

Serves 6  

​Ingredients 

Pastry 

• ½ cup raw almonds 

• 1 cup wholemeal flour 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• 75 grams cold butter 

• ¼ cup cold water 

Filling  

• 2 tablespoons butter 

• 1 red onion, finely diced 

• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped 

• 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, removed from the stalk 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• 600 grams fresh tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups worth)  

• ½ cup unsweetened yoghurt 

• 5 free range eggs 

• Salt and cracked pepper 

• 100 grams feta, cut into small squares 

• 25 grams parmesan cheese, finely grated 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 25cm round loose bottomed tart tin or similar with butter. 

2. Make the pastry. Grind the almonds in a food processer with a few tablespoons of the flour until fine. Add the remaining flour, salt and cubed butter. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Blitz again while slowly adding the water until the mixture just begins to ball up and come together -  you may not need the whole measurement of water.

3. Bring the pastry together and roll out between two sheets of baking paper to about 3mm thick, so it will generously fit into the tart tin. Peel off the top layer of baking paper and use your rolling pin to roll the pastry over it so you can lift it up and invert it over your tart tin - the remaining baking paper will now be on top. Gently peel the paper off and push the pastry into the edges of the tart tin ensuring it is evenly covering the base and the sides. If it comes up past the sides of the tin, cut it flush with a knife or fold it back over at the top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

4. While the pastry is refrigerating, melt the butter and gently sauté the onions, garlic and thyme, seasoning with the salt to prevent the onions from burning. Cook on a low to medium heat for 5 minutes until the onions are silky and translucent. 

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and turn the heat up. Bring to a rolling simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until most of the liquid has gone and the tomatoes are cooked. Remove from the heat. 

6. Take the pastry case from the fridge and spike the bottom all over with a fork. Prepare to blind bake it by placing baking paper over the base and filling it with dried beans or rice to weigh it down.  Blind bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.

7. Lightly beat the yoghurt and eggs together with a generous pinch of salt and some cracked black pepper. Add to the tomato mixture with the diced feta and mix through. 

8. Pour the tomato and feta custard into the partially cooked tart shell and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.  

9. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until a knife comes out clean when pushed into the center of the filling. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.