DAILY DINNERS

Up to a day ahead:

Melt the butter in a wide frying pan or sauté pan over a medium-low heat and add the shallots, cut side down. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until golden. Turn them over and add thyme, vinegar and sugar. Give the pan a shake to dissolve the sugar, cook and cover for another 10 minutes, until the shallots are cooked through. Leave to cool

Divide the pastry into 6 pieces and roll out to rough circle or square shapes. Top with the cold shallots, then break over pieces of cheese and crimp the sides of the pastry to form a rim. Cover and chill

1 hour ahead:

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg, then bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn them, the set aside Scatter a few pine nuts over each tart. Serve with a salad of bitter leaves such as chicory.