Caxton magazines staffNaas and Jenny Ferreira often invite friends to share a relaxed lunch on the veranda overlooking the magnificent gardens of their Cape wine farm, Klein Optenhorst (kleinoptenhorst.com)
INGREDIENTS
- 400g puff pastry (use a good quality packet of ready-rolled, unfrozen pastry)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 150g soft goats’ milk cheese
- 500g cherry or small Roma tomatoes
- 15ml olive oil
- 5ml sugar
- salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste
- few sprigs fresh thyme or lemon thyme
- olive oil, chopped fresh oregano or basil and basil pesto, to serve (optional)
METHOD
1. To make the pastry case: working on a sheet of baking paper, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle about 4mm thick. Cut off 1cm of pastry on all sides. Brush each strip of the cut pastry with beaten egg and stick the strips, egg side down, onto the pastry rectangle to make a border.
2. Transfer the pastry case to a baking tray and preheat the oven to 200°C.
3. Crumble the goats’ milk cheese and scatter onto the inside of the pastry case. Halve the tomatoes and toss in bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, sugar, salt and black pepper. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on top of the cheese. Top with fresh thyme and another grind of pepper.
4. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes or until well puffed and golden. To serve, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the chopped herbs and add a few dollops of pesto (optional).
This recipe serves 6–8.
