An ordinary Saturday

Along with many of Salty Squids' new year resolutions, regularly doing our little blog is lying discarded on the 'failed to keep up' pile along with eating less, frying less and not classing chorizo as a fruit or vegetable. I do hold onto hope that one day I will have a t-shirt that reads ' Chorizo counts towards your five a day'. I think I should stop talking about chorizo about now.

Saturday's Breakfast

Morning time usually comes around early in the day. It heralds a new beginning in which you have 24hrs to eat as much as is possible. Avoid fluids like water which can take up space in your stomach and aim for the healthier drinks, like coffee, wine and coffee. It's important to eat a big breakfast in case you get stuck talking to a chatty neighbour for half and hour where you will find it hard to consume food. Or if like me, it is possible to hang a bunch of grapes from your head and pick at them if you do find your self cornered without a sandwich.

Poached eggs, with harrissa, mushrooms and shrubbery should keep you happy for half an hour or so.

Saturday's Tart

Miss Salty Squid is a dab hand at tarts. And there is nothing better to come home to than a home cooked tart. I have no idea how Miss Salty Squid made this, but I know it involved a lot of Irish veg and cheese.





Ingredients:
For the filling (whatever is most fresh at your local market. I went to the Newmarket market in Dublin 8. Here is what I found): 2 handfuls organic cherry tomatoes (different shapes & colours); purple carrots; purple sprouting broccoli; fresh springs of oregano; 3 sweet potatoes; 175 g Irish Goat Gouda; 250g Quark or Ricotta and Feta would also work); few stripes of good bacon; onion & garlic; salt&pepper; some spices, whatever you have or like.
For the pastry: 100 g frozen butter; 100 g flour; each pinch of salt and nutmeg; a bit of cold water

Make the pastry by adding the nutmeg and salt to the flour and then by rubbing the flour and butter together until they form breadcrumbs. Add a beaten egg and combine using a little water if needed. Rap the pastry in clingfilm and flatten it out, as this will make rolling a whole lot easier. Rest and fridge for and hour before rolling it out and lining your tart mould. Bake blind for 25mins covered with greaseproof and some baking balls.

For the filling sweat off the onions with a bay leaf until soft. Remove the leaf and add the bacon and carrots. Add the peeled chopped sweet potatoes cook until soft. Add the oregano and tomatoes and cook for another few mins. Add the quark and season before pouring the mix into the tart. Arrange the broccoli on top and grate the goats cheese on top and bake for another 30mins.