Filo Cauliflower Tart With Red Onion And Maple Syrup

It may sound just a little bizarre to add maple syrup to cauliflower, onion and goats’ cheese, then bake them all together in a filo pastry tart, well I suppose it is. But this recipe from one of my elderly neighbours, here in deepest rural France actually came from her daughter. She lives in Canada now and enjoys the fusion of traditional French cooking with the flavours of her New World.

This is simple, very tasty and takes no more than 40 minutes from start to eating.

Use a deep flan tin or dish, 24 cms, 9.5 inches diameter

Preheat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, gas mark 7

400 g 14 oz trimmed cauliflower
4 sheets of ready made filo pastry
4 flat, round goat’s cheeses
2 red onions
60ml/4 tbs maple syrup
extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Oil the sheets of filo one at a time
Place in a deep baking dish on top of each other, leaving the corners standing up.
Cut the cauliflower into small floret’s and cook in salted, boiling water for ten minutes, drain and cool a little.
Cut the cheeses into thin, round slices and cover the pastry with them
Sprinkle with half the finely sliced onions
Cover with the cauliflower, add the rest of the onions and season
Drizzle the maple syrup over the top
Put in hot oven for 15 minutes or till the tart starts to brown


Although cauliflower doesn’t contain chlorophyll, unless you eat some of the tender protective green leaves, it’s an exceptionally healthy vegetable. It’s rich in cancer protective glucosinilates, anti-bacterial sulphur compounds and sulforaphane, a chemical released when the plant is chopped or chewed.

This stimulates the liver to produce enzymes, which kill of colon cancer cells and may even help prevent the spread of breast cancer cells. An average portion provides a day’s dose of vitamin C and substantial amounts of folic acid, fibre and vitamin B6, as well as a good supply of other vitamins and minerals.