RICOTTA AND TOMATO TART It travels well and tastes bast at room temperature. All you need is a salad, wine and fresh fruit to make a meal of it. 2 ripe tomatoes, finely sliced Sea salt 1 quantity rough puff pastry (recipe follows) 2 cups ricotta 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup cream 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan A pinch of ground nutmeg Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup finley shredded rocket (arugula) 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, for glazing 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain. Place pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a circle about 14 in in diameter and 1/4 in thick. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking tray.

Place ricotta, eggs, cream, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add rocket and stir to combine. Place this ricotta mixture in the center of the dough, and spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 2 in border around the outside. Using your hand, lift and push the border onto the filling. Arrange tomato slices over the top of the filling. Brush pastry with egg yolks and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 8.

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY

200g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
200g chilled unsalted buter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons chilled water

Place flour and salt in a bowl, add butter and rub through with fingertips until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water, cutting in with a knife, to form a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough into a 12 x 6 in rectangle. Fold in the two short ends to meet in the center, then fold in again. Roll the pastry into a 12 x 6 in rectangle again, and repeat folding process. Refrigerate as a small rectangle for a further 30 minutes before using.

Bills - Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner, Bill Granger