Feta and Sweet Onion Tart with Sage

Before I go on I should tell you that what I know about philosophical text and Plato could be written on the back of a playing card, possibly even the back of a stamp. I admit I don’t really understand it, I am not an expert and I am pretty sure having read the first part of Wikipedia on Plato’s book The Symosium, I don’t want to be! However I do know something from it that I think is wonderful.

“According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves….…and when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other’s sight..….the two are struck from their senses by love, by a sense of belonging to one another, and by desire, and they don’t want to be separated from one another, not even for a moment.”

Two halves that fit together so perfectly. Isn’t that a lovely concept?

And the same is true of food, two foods that belonged together.

• Bread and butter
• Apple and cinnamon
• Mash and gravy
• Lemon and fish
• Crab and chilli
• Cheese and onion
• Bacon and eggs
• Tequila and lime
• Garlic and chilli
• Garlic and butter
• Garlic and cream
• Garlic and ginger.

Hmmmmm. Garlic doesn’t fit the Plato brief. Think there is a word for garlic 😉

Do you ever watch Heston Blumenthal? His molecular gastronomy is introducing the world to new and weird food combinations. Anyone fancy salmon and licorice, caviar and white chocolate, banana and parsley or garlic and coffee (I told you garlic gets around!)

I am interested to try some, others I just can’t face. Messing with my coffee???? HESTON, STEP AWAY FROM MY COFFEE!!! 😳

Back in the world of everyday home cooking. What is your favourite combination? I am not sure I could pick. But that doesn’t stop me sharing this recipe with you. Again two wonderful foods that come together to create an amazing and delicious meal 🙂

Cheese and onion.

Sweet slow cooked onions and melted salty cheese. Perfect. A sweet buttery onion tart with crumbled feta cheese. Great served with a side salad and a glass of white wine. Easy, tasty entertaining or just a great Saturday lunch. Either way this tart is delicious and even better I think this tastes best at room temperature. Which means you can make it up in advance. Anything that makes life easier is a win in my book.

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• small knob of butter
• 4 onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
• 100g feta cheese (or a crumbly goats cheese)
• 1 egg

1. Peel and finely slice the onions.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter together.
3. Add the onions, salt and sage and cook for 10 minutes until the onions are starting to soften.
4. Turn the heat down to its lowest heat, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the pastry from the freezer and on the counter to defrost.
6. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir well and cook for 10 more minutes.
7. Cut a quarter strip off the pastry, so you have a rectangle shaped tart. (15cm x 20cm)
8. Slide your pastry onto a baking sheet, lined with cooking paper.
9. Pre-heat your oven 220°C/200°C fan forced/Gas Mark 7
10. Using a butter knife cut a border inside the tart. You don’t want to cut all the way through just score it so that you have guide for the filling and also this helps a little wall rise up around the onion mixture.
11. Using a sharp knife prick the surface of the inner rectangle to minimise its puffyness.
12. Spread the onion mixture over the inside of the tart. (You may have too much onion – But it will keep for a few days in the fridge)
13. Sprinkle over the crumbled feta cheese.
14. Use a pastry brush the edges of the tart with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until crispy and golden.