Torta Caprese / Capresi Tart

Everyone loves a bit of capresi salad right? Well how about adding a sweet and tangy red onion marmalade and some pastry? Could it get any better? This is a lovely and elegant appetizer for any dinner party, but also makes a great dish to take to a potluck. If you want to make it more finger friendly, simply cut the pastry into tomato sized rounds and stack the ingredients on top.

This is a recipe from this months Delicious UK magazine. The only things I had to vary were the pastry and basil. As you may know from my supermarket rant, there is a herb crisis here in Edenderry, so alas I had to use dried basil (and I tossed a little oregano on it too!) and having no puff pastry I had to use shortcrust. I suppose I could have made some, but given my last pastry disaster I think I will be buying the pre-rolled from now on! Made some minor changes to the marmalade based on what was in my cupboard/fridge!

For the Onion Marmalade

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, sliced (I used red)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar (Again, I used red)
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 heaped tbsp redcurrant jelly (I used apricot preserve)

Heat oil in frying pan over low heat. Ad onions and cook for ten minutes until soft. Increase to medium heat and cook for another 10-12 minutes until they start to brown (but not burn). Ad the remaining ingredients and cook 3-4 minutes or until of a jam like consistency.

For the tart

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• flour, for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 large vine ripe tomatoes*
• 2 x 125g buffalo mozzarella balls, drained and pat dry
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 3-4 torn fresh basil leaves

Unroll pastry on floured surface and trim to 34cm x 22cm. Transfer to baking tray and brush with egg. Prick with a fork and refrigerate for ten minutes.

Bake the pastry for 20-25minutes until slightly risen and golden brown. Meanwhile cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into 5mm thick slices.

Spread the marmalade all over the pastry (it will crack a bit) and alternately layer the tomato and mozzarella slices in 2 lines and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

*On a foodie note - many of us tend to pick Roma tomatoes because of their convenient size and shape. Roma tomatoes are actually a very tasteless variety - you'd be much better off going with a vine ripened beefsteak or something similar, even vine cherry tomatoes would taste better although might not look as nice! :-) ENJOY!


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