Roasted red onion, plum tomato & Blacksticks blue cheese tart........try saying that when you've had a few!

I may bore you after a while on the subject of cheese but it's something I can never have enough of!

Blacksticks cheese comes from near an old stomping ground of mine in Lancashire and as you can see it is a most unusual  'blue' cheese as it is orange....and 'blue'.

It is a cheese that is creamy, crumbly, has that perfect blend of blue cheese acidity and um.....stinkiness....I love it!

I love cheese in a hundred different ways but I am particularly partial to the cheesy tart / quiche combination. This dish is great for a dinner party starter, a light lunch or supper and eats just as beautifully cold or hot.

you will need:

7-9 inch non stick flan tin

1 sheet of shortcrust pastry.....but feel free to make your own if you have the time

1 large red onion

about 20 baby plum tomatoes

150-200 g Blacksticks blue cheese or other blue cheese

4 eggs

200 mls single cream 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

sea salt / fresh black pepper

olive oil

how to:

• peel, halve and cut the onion into thick slices, place on an oven tray, halve the tomatoes and place on another oven tray, season both with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
• roast at 180 until the tomatoes begin to wilt and the onions have browned a little
• remove from the oven and set aside
• butter the flan tin then line with shortcrust pastry
• bake the tart case 'blind' by covering with a piece of greaseproof paper weighted down by baking beans or I like to use rice

• bake at 150 c until the pastry is firm but not browned! this will help stop shrinkage during the baking of our tart, stop any fluid leaking out and prevent a soggy bottom......nobody likes soggy bottoms!
• artfully arrange your roasted onions and tomatoes in the tart case, keep a few of the tomato halves back to decorate the top later
• dice the cheese and scatter over the top of the vegetables
• whisk the eggs and cream/milk together well and season liberally, strain through a sieve into a jug
• add the chopped fresh thyme to the egg/cream mixture, stir well then slowly pour the over the vegetables, place a few more tomato halves on top of the egg
• place your tart on a baking sheet and put in a pre heated oven at 160c
• bake for approx 30 minutes or until the egg is set and the top is very lightly browned

how to enjoy:

You can eat the tart straight from the oven or let it cool then refrigerate to eat later.

It is possible to re heat this tart but do it very carefully, we don't want the egg to turn rubbery.

Serve with a nice green salad and some onion chutney for a bit of bite.

You can make this as individual or even little bite size tarts to serve at your Christmas party!