I just love this tart. It brings back memories of my kids being small and loving zucchini gratin more than any other vegetable dish. This is just a version of that in a pastry case which makes this a winner for me as I want to take the tart for our picnic supper listening to the Last Night of the Proms at the sea front this Saturday. It goes without saying that it is perfect with a glass of wine.

Zucchini Tart

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

280 g plain flour

125g cold butter, cubed

pinch of salt

For the filling

350g (2 medium) zucchinis

1 tbsp olive oil

Knob of butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely diced

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried majoram

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

150ml double cream

2 large eggs

130g mature Cheddar, finely grated

3 plum tomatoes sliced

METHOD

For the dough sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water, mix to a firm dough and knead the briefly and gently on a floured surface until the dough just comes together. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Grease a 20cm x 3.5cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use to line the tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and place in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Line the pastry case with baking paper and baking beans or rice and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and beans or rice, reduce the temperature to 180°C/160°C fan and return to the oven for a further 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate the zucchini into a bowl. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter over a low-medium heat, then fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Increase the heat, stir in the zucchini, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste, and fry until soft and just golden. Remove form the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

In a large jug, mix the cream with the eggs, the grated Cheddar and some black pepper. Mix in the zucchini and onion mixture and pour over the base of the tart. Top with the sliced tomatoes and bake for a further 25 – 30 minutes until just set. Serve hot or cold.