Sunshine Vegetable Tart

Ingredients

• 1 roll Ready-made shortcrust pastry (about 250 g)
• 1 medium Eggplant (≈250 g, cut into 0.5 cm dice)
• 3 small Zucchini (≈300 g, cut into 0.5 cm dice)
• 3 medium Tomatoes (≈300 g, seed and cut into 0.5 cm dice)
• 1 medium Onion (≈100 g, sliced)
• 2 units Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 0,5 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 0,5 teaspoon Ground turmeric
• 0,5 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil (≈45 ml)
• 0,5 pepper Red pepper (≈75 g, seeded and diced)
• 0,5 pepper Green pepper (≈75 g, seeded and diced)
• 100 g Grated cheese (Emmental) (for gratin)
• 20 cl Crème fraîche (≈200 ml)
• 3 units Eggs (beaten)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables

   Wash and cut the eggplant, peppers, zucchini and tomatoes into dice of about 0.5 cm. Slice the onion and finely chop the garlic.

   Time: PT20M

2. Sauté the onion

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent, without browning.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: medium heat

3. Cook the eggplant

   Add the remaining olive oil then the eggplant dice. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden.

   Time: PT4M

   Temperature: medium heat

4. Add the peppers

   Stir in the red and green pepper dice. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

   Time: PT4M

   Temperature: medium heat

5. Garlic and spices

   Add the chopped garlic, cumin, turmeric and Herbes de Provence. Sauté for only 1 minute to release the aromas, without letting them burn.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: medium heat

6. Zucchini and tomatoes

   Stir in the zucchini dice then the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still firm.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: medium heat

7. Let the vegetables cool

   Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables warm for 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

8. Prepare the custard

   In a bowl, crack the 3 eggs, add the crème fraîche, season with salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

   Time: PT3M

9. Line the tin

   Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a 29 cm tart tin, gently press the edges and prick the base with a fork.

   Time: PT5M

10. Assemble the tart

    Evenly distribute the cooled vegetables over the pastry base. Pour the egg custard over, then sprinkle the grated cheese.

    Time: PT5M

11. Bake

    Preheat the oven to 180°C (10 minutes). Bake the tart and cook for 35 minutes until the top is nicely golden and the centre is set.

    Time: PT45M

    Temperature: 180°C

12. Rest before serving

    Remove the tart from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

    Time: PT10M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

452

Protein

20 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

30 g

Fiber

5 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Ready-made shortcrust pastry: puff pastry, sweet pastry
• Instead of Eggplant: zucchini, pepper
• Instead of Zucchini: eggplant, pepper
• Instead of Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes, canned tomatoes
• Instead of Onion: shallot
• Instead of Garlic cloves: garlic powder (½ tsp)
• Instead of Ground cumin: chili powder
• Instead of Ground turmeric: paprika
• Instead of Herbes de Provence: thyme, rosemary
• Instead of Olive oil: sunflower oil
• Instead of Red pepper: yellow pepper
• Instead of Green pepper: red pepper
• Instead of Grated cheese (Emmental): gruyère, comté
• Instead of Crème fraîche: thick cream, Greek yogurt
• Instead of Eggs: silken tofu (for vegan version)

Equipment Needed

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Frying pan or pot
• Bowl / mixing bowl
• Whisk
• 29 cm tart pan
• Oven
• Fork for docking the pastry
• Silicone spatula
• Cheese grater (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Cooking the eggplant to prevent it from becoming too soft
• Quick addition and toasting of spices to release aromas without burning
• Baking: check the colour and set of the filling

Chef Tips from the Video

• Add a small handful of freshly chopped basil just before serving for extra freshness.
• Use homemade shortcrust pastry for a more authentic flavor.
• Lightly sprinkle sweet paprika over the cheese before baking for an extra colour.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the tart in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.

Freezer: Wrap the cooled tart in cling film then aluminium foil, freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Room temperature: Leave at room temperature for a maximum of 1 hour after cooking.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the vegetables and custard the day before and keep them separate in the refrigerator.
• The tart can be baked ahead, then reheated for 10 minutes at 160°C before serving.