Little Bistro Starters With Tomato And Pesto

1. 1

   Heat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius

2. 2

   Use the butter to grease 4 muffin cups or loose-bottomed small tartlet tins.

3. 3

   Open up the phyllo sheets: you need 4 sheets, one on top of the other. You might need extra sheets, depending on size of your phyllo sheets. Cut into squares large enough to fit into your molds.

4. 4

   Line the greased muffin cups or tartlet tins with the 4-sheet thick phyllo squares. Push in gently. It will wrinkle at the sides, of course; that's the idea.

5. 5

   With kitchen scissors, cut off the overhanging edges of the phyllo, but not too close to the top.

6. 6

   Brush the phyllo cups generously all over with the olive oil.

7. 7

   Place a tablespoon of pesto in the bottom of the phyllo cups.

8. 8

   Top with the unpeeled 3/4 inch thick tomato slice, sliced crosswise. You might find that a small tomato (top cut off and cut into two, through the centre) yields two thick slices and fits neatly into the pastry on top of the pesto.

9. 9

   Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon sugar and a tiny pinch salt over each tomato half.

10. 10

    Sprinkle fairly generously with pepper.

11. 11

    Put the cheese of your choice on top -- goats' cheese (chevre) really is best.

12. 12

    Drizzle a swirl of virgin olive oil over each tartlet.

13. 13

    Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until pastry turns golden.

14. 14

    Serve warm, not hot from the oven.

15. 15

    (Recipe can be doubled or tripled).

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.