Smoked Wensleydale and Thyme tarts

I was in the big-cheese of cheese haunts - La Fromargerie - the other week. It 's a beautiful shop, very tiny, but never fails to delight. There are crates of the most unique varieties of pretty ordinary vegetables; tomatoes, beetroot, onions and garlic, they all look much more wild and interesting than the supermarkets' selection, and are strategically adorned around the entrance to be adored by one and all. They also sell a good range of pasta, pickles and freshly baked cakes that are worth taking a look at too.




The highlight of La Fromargerie is obviously the refrigerated cheese room, and this, along with Neil's Yard's Dairy, is a must for all you lovers of cheese out there. It's difficult not to get roped into tasting quite a few, which then makes it even harder to leave without buying any. 

My obsession for cheese has recently been focused on the smoked varieties. I had some fun once attempting to smoke something over smoldering wood chippings, and old rabbit cage wire meshing. Waft those wood chippings over anything and I'm wet at the mouth.  Smoked Wensleydale cheese is my thing recently and I wanted to come up with a more creative way to use its flavour, than just lobbing chunks of it on to crackers.


On this particular visit to Fromargerie I had ordered their spinach quiche, (or savoury custard as they like to call it), and was sadly disappointed with what I got. It tasted of little other than lemons, was a bit limp over-all, and a hefty £10.95 on top of that,  for one solitary, small slice with only a few simple salad leaves to keep it company. I could probably buy a whole wheel of Smoked Wensleydale at that  or at least buy a bit and whip up a few fine tarts of my own at home.

And so it was, I got to baking some Smoked Wensleydale tarts and this one here is delicious and really worth the effort as it far surpasses the quality of quiches on offer in supermarkets. It is creamy and almost souffle like but still very simple and full of delicate flavours. The thyme is a brilliant companion for the smoked cheese as is the smoky texture form the pine nuts.

*As writing this I have since gone back to the drawing board very quickly and worked with this recipe again to come up with another great take on smoked Wensleydale tarts to add to the mix. It omits the feta and pine nuts and uses freshly sliced tomatoes that turn very delicate and sweet once baked. Smoked Wensleydale, tomato and thyme tart.

Ingredients:

For the Pastry
200g plain flour
100g butter
pinch of sea salt
100ml cold water

For the filling:
1 medium sized onion
150g smoked Wensleydale
100g feta
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 eggs
300ml double cream
50g pine nuts
Sea salt and black pepper

1. Make the pastry early to allow time to chill and pre-bake. Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, break in the softened butter and crumble together through your fingers to make fine bread crumbs. Add the water, little by little, so it doesn't end up too damp. The dough will compact nicely with less water than you appear to need. Push it together at the side of the bowl and form into a pattie shape that holds together reasonably well. Turn out onto cling film and wrap tightly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Role out the dough on a floured surface turning about four times to even out the rolling. Aim for a relatively circular piece; something big enough to cover a 5 inch bas of a tart dish (about 9 inch wide including filling the sides). Use a tart dish with a push-up removable bottom to make it easier to take out once cooked.
3. To fit the pastry to the dish easily - hold the dough over the top of the tart dish, and then lift the edges so the pastry drops down. Fit it snugly to the dish with your fingers and thumbs by pushing the dough into the fluted edges and evenly across the bottom. Trim the top so the pastry is finished neatly and to prevent it burning in the oven.
4. Place in the fridge again to allow it to set to the tin and to stop it shrinking whilst cooking. Whilst chilling pre-heat your oven to 195 degrees C.
5. Take out the pastry and cover the base and sides with baking paper; cut out a circle about 9 inch diameter and this should cover it evenly. Line the tart with baking beans and cook for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
6. After 15 minutes, remove the beans and paper and prick the base several times with a fork and return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Whilst this is cooking it is a good idea to get on with step 7 so your filling is ready when your pastry is.
7. Slice the onion finely into half moons and soften gently over a medium heat, in 2 tbsps of olive oil and with a pinch of sea salt. Once cooked remove and set on kitchen paper, return the pan to the heat and add the pine nuts. Cook gently until lightly toasted, remove once cooked and place them with the onions. Mix the eggs and cream together, grate in the Wensleydale, crumble in the feta, add the onions, pine nuts, shred the thyme leaves from their stems and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
8. Once the pastry is cooked pour the mixture into the base and return to the oven; lowering the temperature to 180 degrees C. Bake in the oven until the top is slightly golden as is in the picture. Serve with a simple green salad.