Pan-fried pear tart with Greek-style vegan cheese and redcurrant jelly 

This simple vegan pear tart with Greek-style vegan cheese is quick and easy to put together but makes an impressive and delicious meal for a summers day. 

Pan-fried pear tart with Greek-style vegan cheese and redcurrant jelly 

Recipe by Richard Church (www.richardchurchphoto.com)

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15-20 minutes | Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 conference pears
• ½ tbsp coconut oil
• 1 ½ tbsp coconut nectar (or brown sugar)
• 1 x 500g block ready-made puff pastry
• 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 200g white Greek-style vegan cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
• 4 tbsp olive oil for brushing
• Black pepper
• A handful of fresh rocket leaves for garnish
• 8 chives for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas 5/190C/375F and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Peel the pears, cut them in half, remove the core and then slice them lengthways (see picture). Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and then fry the pear slices for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until they start to brown and soften. Add the coconut nectar or sugar and cook for another two minutes, until they start to caramelise. Set aside to cool.
3. Roll out the pastry (I cut my block in half and did it in two stages) to about 5mm thick. Take a small breakfast bowl, about 15 cm in diameter, and place it on the pastry. Use a sharp knife to cut around the bowl and produce a perfect pastry circle. Put the circle on the lined baking tray and then cut out the other three. Remember to fold your pastry rather than knead it if you have to roll it out again.
4. Once you have you four circles, use a small knife to score another circle about 1 ½ cm from the edge of your pastry (see picture). This does not have to be perfect, and make sure you don’t cut all the way through the pastry.
5. Soften the redcurrant jelly slightly in the microwave, then use a teaspoon to spread it onto the centre of your pastry rounds. Don’t go beyond your scored edge.
6. Layer a quarter of the pears on top of the jelly and then put a quarter of the cheese cubes on top of that.
7. Brush the cheese and the edges of the pastry with the olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Repeat this for all four tarts and then cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the tarts have risen and browned. Top with a little of the rocket leaves and two chives each. Add a little redcurrant jelly to your plate and then serve immediately.