Bread Tarts

Preparation

Dry any slices of left-over bread in the open air to keep them longer. To make the tart cases, lay the bread out on a board and soften with milk. Once softened, squeeze gently and lay slices out on baking paper. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and gently use a rolling pin to flatten out. Grease 8 tart tins with butter and line with the softened bread. Cook at 100° for 20mins until crisp.

In the meantime, prepare 3 vegetable fillings: one with spinach, one with yellow peppers and the third with tomatoes. These fillings are a great way of using vegetable trimmings or vegetables that might otherwise go to waste. For the spinach filling: cook the spinach in a pan with 2 tbsp oil, fresh basil, salt and pepper. After 3-4 mins take off the heat and whizz into a creamy mixture adding 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp water. For the pepper filling: finely chop a shallot and gently fry in a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Cut the peppers into cubes and add to the shallot with a sprig of thyme and pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 mins, then whizz everything together in a blender, adding 2 tbsp water to bind the mixture.

To make the tomato paste: squash a clove of garlic with the blade of a knife in a pan and sautée gently in a pan with 1 tbsp oil; add the chopped-up tomatoes, salt and flakes of chilli pepper. Add 4 tbsp water, cover the pan, and cook on a high heat for 6 mins, stirring from time to time. Whizz everything up into a paste. Put all 3 fillings into pastry bags.

Finally, once the tart cases are cooked and crisp, put a little smoked provola cheese in each of them and put them back in the oven for a few minutes until melted. Fill the tart cases three quarters full with the fillings, in alternate layers if you wish.