Leek & Gruyerre Tart

Blimey, it's like the good life in these parts at the moment! Our good friend Sarah is a landscape architect (available if anyone has any positions at the moment!) but she's also a very good gardener and between her and another friend Iona I'm soaking up their green fingered knowledge. Sarah was coming to tea on Sunday and in exchange has brought me loads of lovely plants for the garden including a 50 year old peony from her granny's garden (better treat that one well). So in exchange I've made her some dinner. The tart is easy to make and I'm not going to apologise I used ready made short crust pastry and served with roasties and some pan fried courgettes which I marinaded in a little lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt then just fried on the griddle.

1 packet of short crust pastry
300ml single cream
3 x beaten eggs
Gruyere cheese (about 2/3 of a good wedge)
Sea salt and pepper
4 leeks

Head and tail the leaks, cut in half and then slice. Fry the leeks in olive oil with S&P and the juice from half a lemon until soft.
Line a flan dish with butter and place the pastry in, cover with grease proof paper and fill with baking beans then bake blind for 20 mins.
Mix the cream with 3 beaten eggs, season.
Place the fried leeks at the bottom of the tart. Cube the Gruyere and scatter over the top then cover in the creamy mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes. Check the tart with a skewer, if it's dry then the mixture is cooked. It was yummy, especially straight out of the oven and still warm and gooey.

Elsewhere this weekend, I went to a vintage fair in Headingley and bought Deano a great tiki bowling shirt, a car boot sale at Yeadon and got a great 'shabby chic' gilt mirror for 2 whole pounds and went for a good curry at Akbars with Mat and Emma. So all in all a great weekend.

Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie

Hi all,

Well it's been a busy weekend and there is lots to tell. It was my birthday on Saturday and we all went out to the skating rink in Millennium Square, it was fun but full of spotty teenagers so not quite the romantic 50's vision I had in my mind! Deano slipped on the ice and now is in hospital with a broken ankle, poor love. We thought it was sprained but no, he has broken his tibia and will need an operation...

Thanks to everyone for all of my lovely presents, I got some heart shaped cookie cutters which will definitely be making an appearance and a brilliant cookery book called 'Spooning with Rosie' which I'm dying to try and will let you know all about.

Tonight's tea had to be quick as it was 4.45 and we had to visit Deano is the ossie at 6 so made a quick pie. It's a bit of a weird one as Deano is away so I could eat meat but it has Quorn chicken in it also! You could either omit the bacon or use real (free range) chicken.

A few rashers of streaky bacon
A bag of Quorn pieces or about 2 fillets cubed
Vegetable or chicken stock
Potatoes
Cheese
Cream - I used Elmlee
Rosemary

Boil potatoes
Fry the leek (I cut in half and then sliced)and bacon until leek soft
Add Quorn and then about 1/2 pint of stock - add the chopped herbs
Add about 3 tablespoons of cream
Simmer until sauce is thick (if necessary add some cornflower)
Mash spuds - I just used butter and milk but you could add a clove of garlic to the boiling water or some mustard.
Put pie mixture in a bowl and top with mash - add grated cheese (I used Gruyere but cheddar is fine) and grill

Ta da instant yummy pie for tea

Enjoy

next post - tales from the hospital bed, Deano is missing my food as he keeps getting a microwave om elate and mash for tea!