Roast Beetroot and Blue cheese tart

Why Beetroot and Blue cheese tart?

Homemade shortcrust pastry is never beaten. It doesn’t take any effort or much time and the results are always perfect.

This recipe only allows for one resting time – leaving a pastry that will shrink far less than frozen store bought varieties.

When making your own shortcrust pastry it is important to always remember to not over work your dough (this will result in a tough dough that will tend to shrink a lot).

Also always try to work with ingredients at their coldest – this way they will combine together easily.

The filling for this tart is a lovely mixture between a savoury cheese cake and a quiche. Unlike a quiche the addition of cream cheese gives the tart a creamy smoothness that matches well with the blue cheese.

Ingredients
175g plain flour, sifted
90g very cold unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk
1-2 tablespoons iced water
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon lemon zest
100g creamy blue cheese, crumbled
1 bunch roasted baby beetroots, halved
picked herbs to garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Lightly grease a 23cm wide 4 cm deep loose bottom tart tin and place in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile place the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and water with the motor running (adding the water a little at a time) and process until the pastry comes together.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and work the dough into a smooth flat disc. Roll the pastry out to 3-4 mm thick and line the base of the chilled tart. Trim the edges leaving a little overhang as the pastry may shrink on resting.

Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a clean food processor place the cream cheese, milk, lemon zest and eggs. Process until smooth and season.

Prick the base of the tart with a fork and line with baking paper. Fill with baking beans or uncooked rice and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the baking paper and baking beans and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the pastry is dry and golden.

Pour the cream cheese filling into the tart shell and crumble over the blue cheese and beetroot halves

Carefully place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tart is just set on the surface but with a gentle wobble.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes and serve topped with herbs.
Serves 8

Bon Appetite.

Slow cooked Fennel and Marinated Feta Pasta

Why Fennel and Marinated Feta Pasta?

I don't often cook pasta for myself as I tend to get carried away and end up with enough pasta for 6! (Maybe this explains why Italians always have big family meals).

I have started to learn my lesson and try to only cook pastas for 1-2 that are full of flavour yet only use up to 5 ingredients (excluding the pantry staples).

Although the cooking time isn’t extremely slow – I like to call the fennel slow cooked as it is cooked gently over a low heat to help create flavour.

This pasta is great served hot or cold the next day for lunch.

Ingredients
2 small fennel, frond removed and reserved
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
200g dried good quality pasta
100g marinated fetta, crumbled

Method

Quarter each fennel and slice into 1 cm thick slices.

Heat oil in a large frypan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and good pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add the fennel and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring until the fennel is soft.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water according to packet instructions or until al dente.

Add the lemon zest and juice and cook for a further 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1-2 tablespoons of cooking water and add to the pan with the fennel.

Finely chop the reserved fennel fronds.

Gently toss through the pasta and fennel fronds and season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with marinated feta and fennel flowers (if available).

Serves 2

Bon Appetite