This rich yet crisp tender cheese pastry is the perfect base to hold a melange of harmonious savoury flavours, creating delightful tarts for a summer lunch.

Ingredients

Rich cheese pastry

• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 100 grams butter, chilled and diced
• ½ cup finely grated cheddar or tasty cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons chilled water

Smoked fish filling

• 200 gram tub taramasalata
• 250 grams smoked fish, flaked
• about 12-16 black olives, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
• 2-3 tblsp chopped fresh basil
• 2-3 tblsp virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pastry

1. Put the flour, salt, butter and cheese into a food processor and process until the mixture looks like crumbs. Pulse in sufficient chilled water until the mixture form small moist balls of dough. Turn out and bring together. Wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for one hour before using.

Tarts

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Roll out the cheese pastry and use to line the base and sides of 4x 13cm tart tins or flan dishes. Line the baking paper and fill with baking blind beans.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the baking blind material and return to the oven for a further 5-8 minutes or until the pastry is crisp. Cool. Spoon equal amounts of taramasalata into each tart and spread out. Mix together the smoked fish, olives, tomatoes, parmesan and basil and scatter into the tarts. Drizzle with olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Cooks Tips

- Replace the taramasalata with sour cream flavoured with basil or hummus, plain or flavoured. - The pastry cases can be made 2-3 days in advance and can be filled just before serving.