Olive and Caramelised Onion Tart

I have two good news for you today. Do you remember when I talked about a delicious savoury tart recipe, I wanted to share with you? I was going on holiday, and a week before that, I was too busy to cook, photograph and write. Well, I actually photographed a lot. But let's get back to the news. The first good news is, that I didn't forget about the recipe, and I have it for you today! And the second good news is, I can finally tell you the reason why I was busy.

I was working on my first commercial photos! Yay! I can tell you, it felt absolutely fantastic to see my pictures in a Prague Palladium Magazine. Forgive me if I sound like I'm boasting, but I was so happy and wanted to share this joy with you.

My photos were featured in a food chapter of the spring/summer 2010 issue. The Magazine's primary purpose is to present clothing brands production and original Czech design. Magazine is produced by non-profit Association CZECHDESIGN.CZ, whose main idea and aim are to support quality Czech design both at home and abroad.

Photographing these pictures was an absolutely new experience for me and I've enjoyed it a lot! In fact, I wasn't the only one who enjoyed it. I felt tired and a bit despaired after my third attempt to cook Thai Tom Yum soup , but P. kept asking if he could eat it! :) Honestly, I was very happy over his appetite, as I didn't feel like eating it at all!

I must say, that I'm very grateful for the wonderful opportunity to photograph these pictures. I learned a lot and had fun.

Oh yes, the tart! Here it is.

I know I post the recipe more than a month or so later than I planned. However, it is a good time to share it with you, after all. Since by the calendar spring has finally come, that means the picnic season is coming soon. And this savoury tart is an ideal picnic food as it is delicious both warm and cold.

The main ingredients for this tart is red onion, but you don't need to worry about your bad breath. I simply love the onion here because the sugar and vinegar give it a scrumptious sweet and sour taste with a rich caramelised aroma.

This tart is not very photogenic because it gets quite dark during baking. But you can believe me, it has a fantastic taste! A strong flavour of anchovies and kalamata olives wonderfully complement the taste of the caramelised onion. I think you will either love or hate this tart. I definitely love it!

Olives and caramelised onion tart
Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 large red onions, peeled and sliced
50ml balsamic vinegar
50ml white wine vinegar
70g cane sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper

500g puff pastry, divided into two pieces
65g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
12 anchovy fillets
12 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 egg yolk

1. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onion for about 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden and caramelised. Add both vinegars, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion mixture thickens.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out both pieces of the pastry into a rectangle. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper.

3. Divide the onion mixture between both pieces and place the olives, anchovies and thyme on top. Fold the pastry edges over the filling.

4. Brush the edges with the egg yolk and bake in preheated oven to 200C for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Spaghetti Puttanesca

This is going to be very short. However, I waited long for this dish. I planned it last Friday and it is Tuesday today! I have already told you about my pasta addiction and this dish satisfied it sufficiently. Actually, I have not eaten pasta for at least two weeks! Good for me :)

So if you like pasta same as I do, this is a must-try dish. I love the harmony of different tastes of capers, kalamata olives and a hint of anchovy. Finished with a parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, it is a wonderful lunch.

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp anchovies, drained and finely chopped

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

800g chopped tomatoes (2 cans)

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp kalamata olives, halved

2 tbsp capers, drained, chopped if large

1 tsp oregano

3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

parmesan cheese, to serve

1 Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.

2 Heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic, anchovies and pepper flakes for a minute over a medium heat.

3 Tip in the tomatoes and stir well. Stir in the vinegar and brown sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened slightly.

4 Add the olives, capers and herbs, stir until combined and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta to sauce adding some pasta water if sauce is too thick. Toss until evenly coated. Serve with parmesan cheese.