Red onion & goats' cheese tart

This is really easy and totally yummy... if your hands are cold enough to make pastry, then go for it, but if you can't be bothered to get flour everywhere then jus-rol is good enough I think!

1 roll puff pastry
3 large red onions, sliced
3 tbsps good balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
big knob of butter
150g soft goats cheese
1 egg, beaten with a dollop of cream
Two springs of fresh rosemary (optional)

Put the vinegar, oil, butter and onions into a thick-bottomed frying pan and leave on a low heat for half an hour. Stir every so often. The onions should caramalise and look a bit sticky... don't worry if some have a tinge of black around the edges. While they are cooking, prepare the pastry...

Roll out the pastry and then score a border around the edge about an inch from each side. Then prick the rest of it with a fork and bake at 200C for 10 minutes. Take it out and act all surprised that it has swelled up like a balloon and hit the top of the oven (optional). Bash down the pastry in the middle gently with a fish slice. Brush the edges with the egg/cream mixture and then put the rest in the middle of the pastry square.

When the onions are ready put them into the centre of the tart and spread over evenly. Then break up the goats' cheese and dollop it all over. If you are using the rosemary break it up and sprinkle on top of the tart before seasoning with salt and pepper and baking in the oven at the same temperature for another 25 minutes or so.

It's great as a starter with some mild leaves and a basic dressing.

I did actually get around to making one of these over Christmas, but the photos didn't come out, so you'll have to take my word for it that it looks and tastes delicious.

Raspberry Jam

We finally got round to making the raspberry jam I alluded to earlier. The raspberries have been ready for weeks and time was ticking on! I have to say I really enjoyed this foray into preserving this time. I have been known to get stressed about all kinds of jam-related things, such as if it's really set or not, but the jam thermometer and previous experience is making it all a much happier activity.

The morning started with a trip to the market for 4kg of berries. That's quite a lot... especially when you have to carry them home on a bicycle with 4kg of sugar as well. We managed and they got back in one piece. Then the fun began!







22 jars of ruby-red properly set jam goodness. Yum.

Chinatown

One morning this week, I found myself walking through Chinatown to the tube, when I became aware of a gross smell - it was vaguely familiar, and after a few minutes I tracked down the source:


Durians! The durian is known as the 'King of Fruit' and it's eaten a lot in Singapore and Malaysia. I couldn't stomach it myself, but some locals love it. Needless to say, the bad smell had me retreating hastily into a nearby shop, where I somehow managed to leave with all this:


And the best part was char sui bao for dinner!