4 large onions, peeled

4 tbsp olive oil

pinch salt

1 quantity butter pastry (see recipe below)

8-10 anchovy fillets

½ cup black olives

METHOD

1. Halve the onions vertically, then place each half cut-side down on the chopping board and slice across very thinly, into half moons.

2. In a wide, heavy-based saucepan, simmer the sliced onions, olive oil and a pinch of salt over a very low heat. Stir them occasionally as they release their juices, and then more frequently as the liquid evaporates and the onions start to fry again. Don't let them colour, though – you want the onions to be melty, translucent and pale. This takes about 30 minutes. Once the onions are cooked, set them aside.

3. Preheat your oven to 190C (170C fan-forced).

4. On a clean, lightly floured bench, roll the pastry out to 5 mm thick and cut out a rectangle about 13cm x 40cm. Spread 5mm thick layer of cooled onions over the pastry, leaving a 1 cm border all around. If the olives are pitted, cut them in half. If they are not pitted, slice "cheeks" of olive away from each pip. Place anchovy fillets across the tart at regular intervals and place 2 halves or "cheeks" of olive between each anchovy.

5. Slide the tart onto a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the base is well crisped. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Butter pastry

INGREDIENTS

225g salted butter, chilled

240g flour

135-150ml chilled water

METHOD

1. Divide the butter into four portions and dice each portion into 1cm cubes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, one portion of butter and 135ml of water. Work the dough into large crumbs using the fingertips of both hands. If the dough is dry, add the remaining 15ml of water. Press the dough together firmly, wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.

2. Roll the dough out into a rectangle and sprinkle the second portion of diced butter over two-thirds of the dough leaving an empty square at one end. Fold the non-buttered third over the centre third and fold over the remaining third of the pastry. This rolling and folding is called a "turn". Wrap and chill the pastry for another 15 minutes before rolling out and repeating two more times to use up the butter portions.Wrap with cling film and refrigerate the pastry until needed.

Red pepper salad

Red peppers are improved when prepared, dressed and left to marinate at room temperature for a few hours. This platter, served with crusty bread and good quality olives, is the makings of a perfect afternoon.

INGREDIENTS

3 red peppers

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp capers

1 golden shallot, peeled and finely diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp best quality red wine or sherry vinegar

pinch of sugar

1 small handful parsley leaves, picked

sea salt to taste

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Take the peppers and rub with one tablespoon of olive oil and place on a small baking tray lined with foil. Bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning from time to time until blistered and starting to colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

3. When cool enough to handle, halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and peel away the skin. It should come away easily. Take the clean flesh and cut into 1cm wide strips. As you slice the peppers, lie the strips on a serving platter all running the same direction.

4. In a bowl stir together the remaining three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic and a pinch of sugar. Pour this dressing over the peppers. Sprinkle the capers over the peppers and leave to marinate at room temperature for an hour or so. Just before serving, strew the peppers with the picked parsley leaves and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.

Serves 6