Zucchini, Fava Bean And Cherry Tomato Tart
This is a fantastically easy tart to make during the summer months when you can get zucchini and cherry tomatoes everywhere. If you’ve got a green thumb and a bit of garden, maybe they can even come from there. I made this zucchini tart one day when it was too hot to do much more than fan myself in the shade, or sit in a cold pool of water (probably caused by my cooling sweat). It takes hardly anytime to throw together; The only downside is that you need to use the oven for a while. I highly recommend turning it on and then quickly running away to stick your head under a cold tap until the tart has finished cooking. The tart is best eaten at room temperature, so you can also cook it the evening before, and then put it and yourself in the fridge for the night. Are you starting to get the idea that it’s a little hot here right now?
Tricks to get the beans shelled
I just love fava, or broad, beans. You can prepare the tart using fresh ones, or just throw frozen ones on the tart as it’s cooking, which is far easier and gives the same result. When my kids were younger, I used to be able to con them into shelling the beans, but now they’re older, they’ve got wise to my tricks and hide in their bedrooms until it’s all over. I used a mandolin slicer to cut the zucchini and even managed to not slice my fingers into the tart, which is an amazing achievement! Make sure the zucchini are very small and sliced thinly. I used the light-green Italian ones for this tart, which have a thinner skin than the dark green zucchini. I think it would work with that variety too. If you try it, drop a comment below to let me know how it turns out.
Substitutes for the cheese
I grated Ricotta Salata over the top of the vegetables. This cheese is made from sheep milk ricotta which has been salted and left to mature for at least 3 months. If you can’t find it, use any hard cheese that you like and can grate onto the top, or crumble feta cheese on top. I’m sure that would taste good too. Ricotta salata is made all through the Southern part of Italy from various types of milk, but the end result is always perfect for grating or crumbling onto dishes that are going to be cooked, no matter which kind it is.
Travel Photo Of The Week
Since I have been talking about ricotta, a natural place to show you is, of course, Sicily! In Sicily, they use soft and hard ricotta often in their dishes. The best cannoli I’ve ever tasted are ones which I ate there. In fact, I’m going to show you two photos: one to make your mouth water and one to make you want to go on holiday. The first is taken in a pastry shop in the spectacular village of Erice, near Trapani. Erice is perched on a mesa, that towers far above the surrounding landscape. The pastry shop is said to be one of the best in Sicily and goes by the interesting name of Maria Grammatico. You can see some of the legendary ricotta-filled cannoli in the photo below.
This next photo was taken on the Island of Favignana, just off the coast of Trapani. Here, you can rent a bicycle for next-to -nothing (just don’t expect the brakes or gears to work) and trundle off to fabulous crystal-water beaches like this one. We were there at the end of October, and it was definitely warm enough to go swimming. That’s coming from me; a total coward when it comes to jumping into cold water.
By Lisa Watson
Zucchini, Fava Bean And Cherry Tomato Tart
Ingredients
- 1 roll Puff pastry
- 2 -3 Small zucchini
- 60 g Fresh Fava (broad) beans 1/3 cup
- 20 Cherry Tomatoes
- Salted Ricotta to cover
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Line a cookie-tray with baking paper and lay the puff pastry on it. Fold the edges over and push with your thumb to make a border.
- Thinly slice the zucchini and layer the slices on the pastry.
- Sprinkle the fava beans over the sliced zucchini.
- If the cherry tomatoes are larger, cut them in half before adding them to the tart. Evenly space them over the tart.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then splash the tart with the olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until the tart edges are browned.