Tuesday 16 September 2014

Zucchini and Feta Pissaladiere








I'm not one of those people who slip a summer dress on if the sun comes out on a winters day. I have to have weeks of sun before I fold my fuzzy woolen jumpers away for the season. But you know I'm dreaming of summer when I start baking with zucchini and cherry tomatoes in early spring.



Zucchini and Feta Pissaladiere
slightly adapted from Annabel Langbein's Simple Pleasures

For the Olive Oil Pastry:
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lukewarm water

For the Toppings:
3 - 4 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 -14 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g feta, crumbled
2 tablespoon pine nuts
Handful parsely leaves
Handful mint leaves

Make the Olive Oil Pastry:
Put the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor and whiz until combined. Add the olive oil and water and blitz again until the mixture forms a ball around the blade. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured work surface, bring it together into a smooth ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Pissaladiere:
Put the grated zucchini into a tea towel and squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can. Heat the oil in a large frying pan to medium heat and tip the drained zucchini into it. Add the spring onions, garlic,chilli, herbs lemon juice and salt and pepper  and cook or about 5 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 220C fan-forced. Place a large baking tray in the oven to heat up. Once heated, take the tray out of the oven, line it with baking paper, lay the rolled out pastry on it. Spread the zucchini mixture evenly over the pastry. Top with cherry tomatoes, crumbed feta and pine nuts.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden and crisp. Sprinkle with torn parsely and mint leaves.

6 comments:

  1. Freshly, lovely, and simple -- just perfect for any time of the year, I say!

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  2. Oufff, that's spring and the fresh arrival of vegetables!!! Love, looooovvveee your pissaladiere :)

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  3. I completely agree with Marie.. This is such a beauty of a dish..

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  4. This is the prettiest celebration of early summer that I have seen Jen! Perfect dinner party on the verandah with friends and big jug of sangria fare :)
    I am breaking out the sundresses though; I am done with winter black and grey - bring on the colours :)

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  5. Love this! It's the perfect combination of flavors!

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  6. I love this kind of dish for an evening meal. I make a more traditional pissaladière but I like this one better.

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