Tartiflette quiche

My love for tartiflette knows no bounds: tender slices of potato, smoky bacon and browned onions melded together by hot melted cheese sets my heart a-flutter (and, if I consumed it as frequently as I wished, would probably also stop my heart). Designed to revive hard-working mountain dwellers in the Haute Savoie, nowadays it’s also the perfect calorie-fest after a hard day’s skiing. It’s hearty, rich, warming and utterly, utterly delicious. The cheese of choice is Reblochon a mildly pungent, nutty cheese from the French Alps which has a melty, soft texture and turns bubbly, golden and crisp around the edges when baked. During three lovely months spent in the Haute Savoie, living in the lake-side town of Annecy, I worked my way through a good number of tartiflettes made with all sorts of cheeses. Whilst they were all great (especially the goat’s cheese ones) the classic recipe is definitely the best. If you should find yourself in the area you can’t go far wrong at Le Freti, cheese shop by day and restaurant by night. Just be sure to book a table in advance.

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Somerset hotpot

Somerset, the county next door (or up North as we say down here in South Devon) is well known for producing excellent cider which is so good it has spawned its own genre of music, Scrumpy and Western, wherein bands sing odes to their favourite drink. Although there are not as many as there once were, apple orchards are a common sight and in a fair few of those you’ll spot pigs merrily roaming under the trees munching up the long grass. Those happy orchard pigs make for super-tasty pork as they fatten up on sweet apples. So it’s no wonder that Somerset is home to many a good recipe combining pork and apples.

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Leek and potato soup

This has to be one of my all-time favourite soups. When I was little my mum used to ask my brother and I for meal and lunch requests; I would ask for leek and potato soup pretty much every week and, now I’m grown up and moved out, I call her for the recipe on an equally regular basis. Whenever it’s cold and I want a taste of home I make this soup so it’s about time that I actually documented the recipe (I’m sure I’ll just find another reason to call mum).

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Potato and goat’s cheese tart

I make no apologies for this tart, it is a full-on carb fest, fantastic for a winter’s night when all you want to do is curl up in front of the TV and snooze. But at the same time I’d happily eat this during the summer with green salad and chilled glass of white. A contradiction in terms? No, just a beautifully versatile and simple tart than can be thrown together at a moment’s notice and tweaked depending on what you have in the fridge.

In its current incarnation this tart is puff pastry topped with spring onions, thyme and fat coins of potato hiding under melty goat’s cheese. But how about swapping the onions and thyme for red onion marmalade and sliced black olives; slow-roasted tomatoes and basil; or pesto. Switch the goat’s cheese for feta. During the summer, when you fancy something a little lighter, you can slice the potatoes paper-thin. You don’t even need a recipe but I’ll give you one anyway.

Potato and goat’s cheese tart

(Serves 4)

• 1 x 375g  pack of pre-rolled puff pastry
• 5-6 new potatoes, sliced 0.5cm thick
• 6 spring onions
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 200g goat’s cheese
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C.

In a medium pan boil the potato slices for about 5 mins or until soft. Drain.

Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet and with a knife, score a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry making sure not to cut completely through. With a fork, gently prick the pastry inside of the border.

Keeping within the border, sprinkle over the chopped spring onions and thyme then arrange the potato slices in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper then crumble over the cheese. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and bake for 25 mins until the pastry is puffed and golden. If the cheese looks to be browning to quickly move the tart to a lower shelf in the oven or cover with foil.

Now go forth and tart it up!

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