Filo tart with Mediterranean vegetables and goat’s cheese

You can vary the vegetables for this tart, according to the season and what you have to hand. Mushrooms mixed with a handful of spinach leaves are a delightful addition, for example. In summer, I add cherry tomatoes and replace the thyme with basil; I also brush the pastry base with a little black olive tapenade. Artisan cheese-makers in the Deux-Sèvres area of Poitou-Charentes produce some of the finest goat’s cheeses, but France is not the only source. I have come across excellent local goat’s cheeses across the globe, including the UK. Perroche from Herefordshire is one of my favourites.

SERVES 4

1 large onion (ideally red)

1 courgette (about 180g), trimmed

1 small, firm aubergine, trimmed

1 small green pepper, halved, cored and deseeded

1 small red pepper, halved, cored and deseeded

150ml light olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut into slivers

1 thyme sprig, leaves picked

2 small fresh goat’s cheeses, each cut into 4 or 6 pieces

4 sheets of filo pastry

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut the onion into 8 wedges. Cut the courgette into 2cm slices and the aubergine into pieces about 1.5 x 2cm. Cut both peppers into roughly 2cm pieces.

Heat 100ml of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then add the onion and peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, add the pieces of goat’s cheese, increase the heat and cook for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are lightly coloured and about three-quarters cooked. Transfer to a dish, cover with cling film and pierce it in several places with the tip of knife. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Brush a loose-based 18–20cm square tin, about 3.5cm deep, with some of the remaining olive oil.

Lightly brush a sheet of filo with oil and gently press it into the oiled tin. Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of filo. Using scissors, trim off any excess pastry overhanging the edges. Fill the filo pastry case with the vegetable and cheese mixture and fold the edges of the filo inwards to form a rim. Bake for 25–30 minutes.

Slide the tin onto a wire rack and leave the tart to rest for a few minutes before removing from the tin. Serve hot, cut into squares.