The French word ‘tarte’ can be translated to mean either pie or tart, as both are mainly the same with the exception of a pie usually covering the filling in pastry, while flans and tarts leave it open. Most of us know a tart as a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard. Tartlet refers to a miniature tart; an example would be egg tarts. The categories of ‘tart’, ‘flan’, ‘quiche’, and ‘pie’ overlap, with no sharp distinctions. This week Rustenburg Herald visited Marlene van der Merwe & Charlene Coetzee where they shared their recipe for their divine ham and mushroom tart. .
Serves 8
Ingredients:Crust:
200 g Provita, finely crushed
150 g butter, melted
Filling:
30 ml oil
15 ml butter
1 onion, chopped
250 g mushrooms,chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
100 g ham, chopped
45 ml freshly chopped parsley
2 extra large eggs
250 g Lancewood creamed smooth cottage cheese
30 ml flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Crust:
Combine the crushed Provitas with the butter. Press firmly onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of a greased 20 cm in diameter spring form pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ̊ C for 5 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 180 ̊ C.
Filling:
Heat the oil and butter together. Add the onions and mushrooms and fry until gloden and soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the ham and parsley. Beat the eggs and mix with the creamed smooth cottage cheese. Sift in the flower and mix in. Add the onion mixture and seasoning to tatste. Spoon into the prepared crust. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until set.
