Broccoli and Cauliflower free-form tarts

For more than 25 years of my life, cauliflower is one vegetable that I had only in Indian dishes. What a mistake! Because once I discovered it, roasted cauliflower fast became one of my favorite things. It's amazing how roasting gives these white florets a deliciously sweet flavour. Here is an easy but yummy recipe....free-form savory tarts using broccoli and cauliflower.

Makes 4-5 tarts

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

50 gms butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

3-4 tbsps cold water

For the filling:

1 cup broccoli (small florets or big ones halved)

1 cup cauliflower (small florets or big ones halved)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbsps olive oil

1/2 cup grated cheddar/emmental cheese

1/2 cup white sauce

salt

pepper

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Rub in the cubes of butter until you get a coarse  and crumbly mixture. Altervatively, you could also use a fork to press the butter into the flour. Use water (bit by bit) until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts and roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface until you get the desired size and thickness. It should not be too thin. Half the thickness of a pie crust would be ideal. Place them onto a greased baking tray and wrap with cling-film. Keep refrigerated while you make the filling.

Pre-heat the oven at 240 degrees C. 

 

Heat the oil in a big non-stick pan. Fry the garlic and onion until they start turning brown.  Meanwhile, par-boil the broccoli and cauliflower for 3-4 minutes. You want them to be firm since they will be cooked a bit more while baking. Add them to the pan. Sprinkle the salt and pepper. Finally, add the parsley and the white sauce. Mix well. 

Get the tarts out of the refrigerator and place 2-3 tbsps of the filling in the center of each disc. Top with grated cheese. Fold the edges of the tarts towards the center. Turn down the oven to 200 and bake for 20-30 mins until the tart edges start to brown. Serve hot out of the oven.

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