Freeform Tomato Picnic Tart

Ingredients

Pastry:
200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ teaspoon baking powder
125g salted butter, cold, cut into cubes
100g Cream cheese, cold, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons thickened cream, cold

Base Filling:
2 tablespoons Red Island extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup breadcrumbs (blitzed from stale bread)
2 cups fresh ricotta (from the deli)
6 large Vine ripened tomatoes (same as in-store pick up)
5 sprigs thyme

Glaze:
1 egg, beaten
Baby basil leaves to garnish

Method

To make the pastry, place the flour, baking powder and butter into a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds or until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Add in the cream cheese and pulse again to form crumbs, then add in the cream and pulse until the mixture comes together into a dough.

Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and press into a disc. Wrap the dough in cling film and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours to rest.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions have softened.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out onto a lightly floured surface in a rough round shape 5-6mm thick.

Carefully transfer the pastry to a large lined oven tray. Scatter the breadcrumbs onto the base of the pastry and top with the onions, ricotta and sliced tomatoes.

Fold up the outside of the pastry to make a 5cm border on the tart. Season the tomatoes with salt, scatter with thyme leaves and drizzle over a little olive oil. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the base is cooked through.

Allow to cool before slicing into wedges and serve.

Recipe by Courtney Roulston