Leek and Camembert Tart with Walnut Pastry

Ingredients

190g wholemeal plain flour

50g walnuts
125g diced and chilled unsalted butter1 tsp olive oil
2 small leeks, finely sliced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
5 eggs
200ml crème fraîche
2 tsp Dijon mustard
150g camembert or brie de meaux, sliced
4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped, plus extra leaves to serve

Method

Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry pan and then whiz in a food processor to roughly. Mix with the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3 tbsp cold water, then use a knife to draw the pastry together. When it starts to clump, bring it together with your hands, adding a touch more water if needed. processor. Knead lightly into a disc. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220˚C (200 fan), gas mark 7. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to 0.3cm thick and use to line a 25cm round fluted tart tin. Let the excess pastry hang over the edge. Put on a baking tray and , line with baking parchment, fill with baking beans, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool, then trim the excess pastry. Reduce the oven to 200˚C (180 fan), gas mark 6.

Heat the the oil in a pan with a small knob of butter. Add the leeks a with a pinch of salt and cook over a heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add the vinegar and sugar and cook for 5 minutes until slightly sticky. 

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the crème fraîche. Add the leeks, mustard, and a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Pour into the tart case, then lay thin slices of the camembert on top. Scatter over the thyme leaves. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes until set and light golden (or until a skewer comes out clean). Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove. Serve warm.

Warm Potato Salad with Chicory and Pickled Radishes

Ingredients

150g radishes, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
A pinch of caster sugar
500g baby new potatoes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbs non pareille capers
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
200g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
Two tbsp dill, chopped
2 small chicory bulbs

Method

First combine the radishes, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring now and then (this can be prepared ahead - if you make extra they will keep happily in the fridge for a week or so). Meanwhile, simmer the potatoes for around 20 minutes, then drain. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters (depending on their size). 

Put 2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes, season and fry for about 10 minutes, until golden. Add the fennel seeds and fry for another minute. Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard, 1 tbsp of the radish-pickling liquid and 1 tbsp oil. Season and toss with the potatoes, drained radishes, dill and chicory leaves, then serve.