Ingredients for the Goat Cheese Pesto:

• 250 grams cheese goat cheese
• 2 handfuls of fresh herbs such as: basil, dill, thyme, sage, cilantro, mint, etc. or whatever herbs grow in your garden or on your windowsill – washed and stems removed where necessary
• 1 TBSP capers
• 2 TBSPs olive oil
• 2 TBSPs walnuts or pecans or pine nuts
• 4 grinds of fresh pepper
• 1-2 TBSPs of honey, depends on your taste
• 1 pinch of ground chili peppers
• 1 TBSP of your favorite vinegar
• Zest from ½ an untreated, washed lemon

Further pie-filling ingredients:

• 3 med-large, washed tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 medium oriental eggplants (they are thinner and less bitter)
• 100 grams of grated Comte, Beaufort, Gruyere or similar strong hard cheese
• salt
• 1 pie crust (quiche crust or other blind-baked salty pie shell)

Putting it all together:

- Toss the pesto ingredients into a food processor and whirl until well blended, scraping the sides in between.

- Transfer to a container and put in the fridge until needed – makes a brilliant dip if you have leftovers.

- Slice the eggplants into thin round slices of a similar size to the tomato slices. Place them on a clean, paper-towel covered tray and salt them well on all sides and let sit about 15 minutes turning once. Pat them dry and grille them on both sides briefly just until slightly brown and fragrant – return to the tray having discarded the paper towel. You can also brown the slices without oil in a non-stick frying pan or griddle.

- Take your blind-baked pie crust and fill it with a good layer of the goat cheese pesto. Now alternate tomato and eggplant slices in a fan going round the pie to cover the pesto with a good layer of vegetables.

- Grind pepper over the vegetables and cover with the grated cheese.

- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 F / 190 C or wait for the apricot pie and bake them together.