Mini tomato and cheese tarts are delicious little mouthfuls that work equally well on a tapas table, for a light lunch or as an elegant little starter. They are simple to make, taste of summer and sun-ripened tomatoes – and they look beautiful on the table too.
The recipe makes six small tarts, about 10 cm in diameter. For lunch, I would serve two tarts per person with a fresh green salad.
The filling is simple but full of flavour: spinach, briefly fried with onion and garlic and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. A layer of grated Vesterhavsost (a Danish aged hard cheese – or use Parmesan) then goes into the pastry cases, topped with slices of fresh tomato and a light egg mixture that binds it all together as it bakes.
When the tarts come out of the oven, the cheese is melted and golden, the tomatoes sweet and lightly roasted – and the smell is irresistible. They are mild, creamy and crisp all at once – a sure winner, whether you serve them warm or cold.
The tarts freeze well, so you can always have an easy lunch or a quick dish for guests ready in the freezer. Vary the filling with whatever vegetables and cheeses you have to hand, and use either ready-made shortcrust pastry or your own homemade pastry if you want to go the extra mile.
Mini tomato and cheese tarts
Ingredients
- 1 shortcrust pastry one pack of ready-made, or homemade
- Or use this recipe – click here
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 150 g fresh spinach
- 30 g Vesterhavsost (Danish aged hard cheese) or Parmesan, finely grated
- 180 g tomatoes, sliced
- 3 eggs
- 75 ml milk or cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil
- Fresh basil (optional)
Method
- Grease the tins well with a little oil.
- Divide the pastry into 6 equal pieces and press it out into the tins. Trim the excess pastry from the edges.If you are using ready-made pastry and it is round, divide it into 4 pieces, then re-roll the trimmings you cut off when lining the tins and use them for the last 2 tins.If you are using ready-made pastry and it is rectangular, it will stretch comfortably to 6 tins.
- Prick the bases with a fork and blind bake them in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 180°C for about 8-10 minutes.If you like, lay a small piece of baking parchment over each pastry case and fill it with dried beans or similar before blind baking – it helps the pastry keep its shape.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until soft and translucent, without colouring.
- Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted and released its liquid. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Divide the spinach and grated cheese between the blind-baked pastry cases, top with the tomatoes and then pour the egg mixture over the filling – it should come right up to the edge of the pastry.
- Bake the tarts for about 30-35 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Let them cool slightly before removing them from the tins.
- Serve warm or cold, topped with a little fresh basil if you like.
Nutrition
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Kan de små tærter fryses?
Hej Anette
Det kan de sagtens ja, har jeg selv gjort flere gange 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Jeg skal lave tærterne til 50 personer, dog som store tærter i stedet for. Hvor mange gange tror du, at jeg skal gange opskriften op til 3-4 store tærter?
Hej Tina
Uhhh jeg vil ændre til 10 personer – til en tærte det burde passe meget godt 🙂
Og til 50 personer ville jeg lave 4 tærter – hvis der også serveres andet 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Tusind tak for svar og tak for dine altid lækre opskrifter, bruger dem flittigt. ;o)
Det er nig der takker fordi du har lyst til at læse med:)
Warm wishes, Dianna