courgette and parma ham tart

my uncle frank gave me some of his garden bounty a couple of weeks ago. the new potatoes, beans, shallots and rhubarb are a distant memory but one of the large courgettes he included in my bag of goodies, has been sitting in the fridge awaiting inspiration.

i’d revisited an old favourite with the other courgette – finely dice it, having removed the central seeds then cook over a gentle heat with some butter, garlic and chilli until it creates a soft and delicious mush/mash/whatever...

i had hoped to do something more imaginative with this second one but failed. i cooked it in exactly the same way but stirred in some sour cream and fresh oregano at the end. i used this mix (having boiled off the most of the liquid) as the topping for a tart – bought all-butter puff pastry was the base – and then finished it with scrunched up pieces of parma ham and, because the mozzarella in the fridge was ear-marked for pizza, grated cheddar. 

the flavours are strong but work well together (if you are doing this combination, don’t add salt to the courgettes as the cheddar and parma provide plenty of their own). perfect as a packed lunch option, which is how david and i will eat it. it would also be nice with a salad for a light lunch or supper. for a similar vegetarian option have a look here.