Crumbled Feta Salad Tarts Recipes

CHOPPED SALAD WITH CRUMBLED FETA

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes in a strainer set over a bowl or the sink. Toss with a good pinch of salt and let excess liquid drain from them. Add the cucumbers to the strainer, adding another pinch of salt.
• Place the onions in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers and toss to combine. Add a few turns of pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and the feta. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust as desired. This will keep covered in the fridge for 2 days.

CRUMBLED FETA SALAD TARTS

Steps:

• Thaw Phyllo tart shells according to instructions.
• In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, sour cream, lemon pepper, oregano, garlic powder and lemon juice; mix well.
• Stir in Feta. Add cucumber, red onion, tomato and olives; toss well.
• Allow mixture to marinate 1/2 hour before serving.
• To serve, fill Phyllo tart shells with salad mixture.

FETA-AND-HERB PHYLLO TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.
• Brush one of the phyllo sheets lightly with melted butter and place, butter side-up, in a 9-inch/25-centimeter round tart pan. Press the pastry into the corners and then brush another sheet of phyllo in the same way, pressing it into the pan at a 45-degree angle to the first sheet. Continue twice more (using 4 sheets total), covering the base and sides of the pan with a uniformly thick layer of phyllo. Trim the overhanging pastry, but not completely, leaving 1/2-inch/1 centimeter of phyllo over the edges of the tart. Set both the pan and pastry scraps aside.
• Take another sheet of phyllo (unbuttered this time) and position the long side in front of you. Fold the bottom edge up to form a fold 1 inch/3 centimeters wide. Continue folding the pastry in alternating directions (as if you were making a concertina fan) until you end up with 1 long pleated strip. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry in the same way. (If the pastry breaks or tears, pat it back into place and continue as if the torn pieces were still connected.)
• Starting from the middle of the tart tin, coil 1 folded strip from the middle outwards to start forming a rough snail, spreading the strips roughly 1/4 inch/1/2 to 1 centimeter apart. (You want visible gaps between the phyllo strips, so you can fill them with chunks of feta and the custard.) Meet the end of the pastry with the second strip and continue the snail in the same way until the 4 sheets have been used. You may still have some space around the edge, which you can fill with the scrap trimmings, folding them in the same way as best you can.
• Brush the pastry carefully with remaining butter and set any pastry coils upright if they've fallen over. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry is a dark golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix feta, pecorino and herbs until blended and set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper.
• Gently press cheese and herbs in between the gaps of the phyllo pastry, being careful not to break the pastry base. Pour the custard over evenly, drizzling in just a little at a time and allowing it to soak evenly into all the gaps in the pastry. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the custard has set and the cheese has browned. Remove from the oven and serve warm, cut into slices.

SPRING TARTS WITH WATERCRESS SALSA VERDE & WHIPPED LEMON FETA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry but leave it on the parchment, then transfer it to a baking tray. Brush egg yolk all over. Trim the edges with a large, sharp knife - this will give you a neater finish but isn't essential. Cut the pastry in half lengthways, and move the pieces apart so they have a little space to puff up as they cook. Score a border about 1cm from the edge of the pastry, all the way around, then cut slashes across the centre to prevent it from puffing too much. Be careful not to score the border.
• Toss the carrots and radishes in a little oil and a sprinkling of salt in a small roasting tin. Put the pastry on the top shelf of the oven and the veg on the middle one, and cook for 25 mins, or until the pastry is golden and has a crisp base, and the veg are starting to soften. Leave to cool while you make the lemony feta.
• Crumble the feta into a bowl, add the mascarpone, lemon zest and milk and blend using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Chill until needed. To make the salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a small hand processor and whizz to a pesto consistency. This will keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil, and have a bowl to hand filled with cold water and some ice. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 mins until bright green but still crunchy. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out and plunge straight into the iced water. Do the same with the sugar snaps, and finally the peas, draining these in a sieve, then cool in the ice water with the other veg.
• Spread the whipped feta over the bases, top with the veg (you can mix them up or keep the roasted veg on one tart and the green veg on the other, if you like), then drizzle with salsa verde and a little oil. Best served within an hour or two, but leftovers will keep for a day in the fridge.