Tartlets of Winter Vegetables and Cheese

Inspired by Elle a Table, Special Fetes 2010

Makes 12 tartlets

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup plus a few TBSP extra / 250 ml of broth
• 85 grams / 6 TBSP of butter
• olive oil
• 150 grams / 5 ounces of mushrooms, cleaned and finely sliced
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
• 60 grams / 2 ounces of pancetta or other flavorful bacon, roughly diced
• 3 medium-sized zucchini
• 1 medium-sized goat cheese of the camembert or Reblochon type (creamy inside with edible rind)
• Salt & pepper
• Herbes de Provence
• 1 package of phyllo pastry (paper thin Greek or Turkish pastry leaves)
• 12 paper or porcelain ramekins
• 2-4 TBSPs of lavender (the organic type for cooking)

Putting it all together:
- Place the sweet potato cubes in a pot and cover them with the broth, add 1 TBSP of butter, 1 tsp of herbes de Provence and 1 pinch of lavender and bring to a boil. Simmer on very low heat until soft about 10-15 minutes; stirring often and adding just enough additional broth so the potatoes don’t burn and stick to the pan. Puree them with a fork until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. The puree should be thick and not liquid. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

- Meanwhile, fry 1 diced shallot, the mushrooms and the pancetta in a drop of olive oil and 1 tsp of butter until browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

- Wash the zucchini. Using a wide vegetable peeler or a mandolin, slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices; discard the first and last slices. Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil and fry the second shallot and the garlic on medium heat until translucent, add the zucchini slices and fry gently about 5 minutes until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Season with salt, pepper, lavender and herbes de Provence. Set aside.

- Slice the goat cheese and cut the slices in half so that they will fit into the ramekins. Butter the ramekins.

- Take the phyllo leaves and cut them in half once and stack them. Melt the rest of the butter in a small bowl or saucepan.

- Take one sheet of phllyo and using a pastry brush, brush the leave gently with a little butter, place a sheet on top and butter it, followed by a third sheet.

- Place the three sheets carefully in the ramekins so as not to make holes, leaving the pastry to overlap the sides. Repeat this procedure with all the ramekins.

- Transfer the purree, mushroom mixture and zucchini into separate bowls and have them in easy reach along with the sliced cheese.

- Working with one ramekin at a time, place a thin layer of sweet potato in the bottom, next cover with a layer of mushroom/pancetta mixture, then with a thin layer of zucchini and finally 2 slices of the goat cheese. Press lightly. Now fold the overlapping phyllo over the filling in a pretty way to cover. Brush the top with butter and sprinkle a pinch of lavender.

- Proceed until all ramekins are filled. Eat the rest of the filling of store for later use.

- These should be backed for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius / 360 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can set them aside until the guests arrive. They should be golden brown. Serve them hot or cold with or without tapenade (olive paste) or pesto.