Sorry I’ve been neglecting you recently. It’s not that I don’t love you any more it’s just that I’ve been really busy with life and people and working on an exciting new business venture that I am desperate to tell you all about.
But not just yet…
First a recipe, because that is why you are here after all. You’re obsessed with food probably, like I am.
I buy beetroots from the market, then I roast them and then I decide what I am going to do with them. Roasted beetroot is a great thing to have in your fridge. You can just add it to a salad with some goat’s cheese & walnuts (classic flavour combinations) if you can’t be bothered with the whole “making the tart” thing or are pushed for time. You can puree it with some chickpeas to make this brilliantly bright magenta coloured Beetroot Hummus, or blend it with some stock into this stunning Spiced Beetroot Soup.
I had pinned this recipe for a Beetroot, Goats Cheese & Walnut Tart on to my Food I Want To Make My Own board and remembered a recipe for a tomato tart with a walnut oatmeal crust that I had cut out of a magazine. You know when you want to find something and you find everything but that one thing?
Anyway, I did eventually find it in a pile of papers in a draw. This crust is a bit like a cheesecake base if you know what I mean, the oats, wholemeal spelt flour and finely chopped walnuts are mixed with olive oil to make a base that you press into the tart case with your hands and push it up the sides.
It’s worth the hassle. You get a slightly thicker than normal, rustic, nutty, crumbly biscuity base that is perfect with the goats cheese & beetroot. And it makes a nice change.
Roasted Beetroot, Goats Cheese & Walnut Tart with a Walnut Oatmeal Crust
Serves 4-6 vegetarian. Adapted from Alexandra Cooks
Roasting beetroots:
- 3 or 4 tennis ball (or smaller) size beets (you may not need it all for this recipe)
- olive oil salt & pepper, dried or fresh thyme
Preheat oven 200C. Trim the beets, leaving the root and about 2 inches of stalk still attached, if possible, then wash them gently to get rid of any mud. Dry them and put them on a lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Roast for 45-50 minutes (depending on size) until tender all the way through.
Leave until cool enough to handle and, using gloves, cut off the roots and stalks then rub off the skins with a small knife. They should come off easily. Remember, beetroot stains, so be careful.
For the pastry crust:
- 135 g wholemeal spelt (or normal) flour
- 65 g oats
- 50 g walnuts, very finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- up to 120 ml cold water
Mix together the flour, oats, walnuts, salt, pepper & thyme in a large bowl with a fork. Then add the olive oil and, using a fork, mix it into the dry ingredients, mashing it together so it is evenly distributed and resembles crumble.
Then slowly drizzle in the water (you may not need all of it) mixing it with the fork until it starts coming together. Using your hands bring it together into a ball and knead gently just until it holds, don’t overwork it. It will be crumbly. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, caramelise the onions…
For the filling:
- 1 large red onion, finely sliced
- salt & pepper
- thyme
- balsamic vinegar (or balsamic syrup)
- honey
- a splosh of red wine or sherry
- a handful of walnuts, roughly chopped (40 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pot (125 ml) goats (or greek yoghurt)
- rice milk/oat milk/goat milk (or you choice of milk)
- 75 – 100 g goats cheese, crumbled
- fresh dill or parsley to serve
Cook the sliced onions in a frying pan in a few tablespoons of olive oil over a medium high heat with the salt, pepper, thyme, a drizzle of balsamic & a squidge of honey, stirring occasionally until starting to soften, caramelise and stick to the pan, about 8 minutes. Add a splosh of wine or sherry to deglaze the pan and scrape any sticky caramelised bits off the bottom. Cook for a couple of minutes more to cook off the alcohol and reduce any liquid. Leave to cool while you prepare the pastry.
Preheat oven to 200C. Oil and flour a 9 or 10 inch tart tin/dish. Flour you work surface and rolling-pin and roll out your pastry to a flat disc as thin as you can go. This is quite tricky because of the walnuts. I gave up and started to press the disc into the tart tin with my hands. Using your fingertips and heel of your hand press it out and up the sides of the tin any way you can! A flat-bottomed mug can be quite useful too. When you have the base reasonably even, trim off any bits hanging over the edge and use them to fill any holes.
Prick all over the base with a fork and bake the pastry case for 10-12 minutes, remove from the oven and lower the heat to 180C.
Spread the caramelised onions evenly over the base then chop 2 or 3 beets into chunky cubes. Scatter these evenly over the base too. You may not need it all. Tumble over your walnuts.
In a measuring jug whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, salt & pepper. then add enough milk to take it up to about 400 ml and whisk together again.
Have you crumbled goats cheese ready, open the oven door and slide out the tray, place the tart on the tray then pour the milk mixture evenly over the filling, top with the crumbled goats cheese and carefully push the tray back in the oven. This should stop any spillage.
Cook for 35-40 minutes until puffed and golden. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes before serving sprinkled with fresh dill or parsley and a green salad on the side. It is also lovely served at room temperature for a picnic.
All it needs is a nice glass of wine to go with it. Any suggestions?
I will tell you all about our new business venture in my next post…..
Enjoy the long weekend!
Great post Natalie! I can’t wait to hear about your new business venture and can’t wait to try the tart.
This is right up ‘me calle’ guapa. I can imagine just grabbing a chunk of the tart when going to the fridge for the milk or that hidden bar of chocolate (70% of course) !
I think a nicely chilled glass of Haute Cabrierre Pinot/Chardonnay….NO ??? xx
That’s what I was thinking! Great minds and all that!! xxx
I have the most delicious beets in the garden–OMG this recipe looks so good, I’ll make it for hubs welcome home meal.
This just looks so vibrant! And beets are one of my favourite vegetables – pitty the hubby is not a fan – but on his next business trip, I think I may have to give this a try 🙂
That looks absolutely delicious!
I’m jet-lagged and reading this to the accompaniment of 1.30 am hunger pangs. How I wish I could go downstairs and make this now. That crust sounds especially scrummy. This is torture, I tell you!
What a lovely tart! I have some beets in my fridge right now. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but his sure tempts me. I will have to figure out what other ingredients I can nab! 🙂 Looking forward to hearing about your new venture, Natalie. Very interesting!
Oh, yum!!! [and I know this sounds infantile, but 🙂 !] I am on a real beetroot kick trying to get blood pressure down and immunity for winter up and very much enjoying the journey! This looks SO good. Am tasting my palate for wine choices. Methinks the obvious would be a soft red like a merlot, but I’ll go out on a limb, and if I made this for lunch I would go for Loire River very dry white?!
Amazing! It looks so dense and flavourful!
Looks delicious Nat! I have been neglecting my blog too lately for the same reason, new business ventures that are keeping me busy. Looking forward to hearing about yours.
That tart looks amazing…so wholesome looking. Going to try the beetroot hummus too.
Hi Natalie! I saw you at Marbella womans week and found your blog trough that. Your pics are amazing and I can’t wait to try out some of your yummie recipes! Keep up the good work you are truly inspiring 🙂 Best luck / Amanda
Can I leave the pastry crust over-night? Or will it spoil?
Thank-you!
Hi, not sure to be honest never tried but you would have to take it out of the fridge to soften up before rolling or pressing it into the tart case. Good luck!
Did it! It came out wonderfully! So moist, easy and crunchy! Well done for coming up with such a recipe! However, wanted to ask a few questions on ingredient amount.
For the filling, how much thyme should i use? Thyme LEAVES or whole? Any suggestions on the type of goats cheese?
Ta! X =)
Hi, I used a shake of thyme over the onions, probably about 1/2 tsp dried, or chopped fresh leaves. The goats cheese is Spanish (from Ronda) comes in a little roll with a soft rind around it. I chop the ends off but don’t bother removing the soft rind before crumbling/tearing off chunks to scatter over the beetroot. 🙂
Oh how Ive missed your wonderful recipes. Its so great to be able to have some time to read through your blog. I dont know where to start first! Everything looks so delicious. This is a yummy looking tart. I love the colors of it. So beautiful.
So beautiful to look at, I bet it tastes even better! Love beetroot, especially roasted (can’t abide that horrible stuff we had as children in vinegar though), and what a great crust.
I’ll definitely try this one.
I love your blog. It s really my kind of cooking.
We re weekday vegetarians, so I’m always looking for inspiration to make up new exciting veggie dishes.
that looks and sounds heavenly…i love using balsamic vinegar in my cooking…goes great with fresh vegetables and fruits!