Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart

A few weeks ago Mum and I were sitting down going through some recipe mags when we discovered a whole section on beetroot.

I absolutely love beetroot, but in saying that I only really use it in salad sandwiches and salads and have never eaten or cooked with fresh beetroot.

After pouring over all the recipes in this magazine for dishes like Beetroot and Gruyere Gratin and Moroccan Beetroot and Cous Cous Salad, I was sold. The only problem was that Mum and I have a habit of reading these magazines together and then the following week when we go to their house for dinner, she has cooked the EXACT dish I was going to cook next time they came to our house for dinner......

In an effort to stay one step ahead of the game, I scoured the internet for beetroot recipes and when I found this one that also involved fetta and horseradish cream I knew I was onto a winner.

The tart itself was really lovely. The pastry was buttery, crumbly and beautifully flavoured by the thyme and the sweetness of the beetroot paired with the acidity of the vinegar and the saltiness of the fetta was just the perfect combination. To top it all off the whole thing was balanced out beautifully by the horseradish sauce which was so good it really deserves its own post and will be making a regular appearance on burgers and steaks in our house from now on.

The recipe might sound like it has lots of steps but it's really not that complicated and is much easier if you cook the beetroot and make the pastry the night before.

Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart - Serves 4 -6 

1 1/3 cups plain flour
100g chilled butter, chopped
1 tspn thyme leaves

1 bunch (roughly 400g) beetroot, trimmed
30g butter
1 tbspn olive oil
2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tspn thyme leaves, plus extra
1 tbspn caster sugar
150g goat's cheese (I used goat's cheese fetta)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150ml thickened cream
1/2 tspn nutmeg
250ml light sour cream
1 tbspn horseradish
1 tbspn lemon juice

Place the beetroot in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 1 hour, topping with water as necessary. Drain the water and then place the beetroot in a bowl of cold water and allow to cool completely. Peel and grate the beetroot and set aside.

Whilst the beetroot is cooking, it's a great time to make your pastry and both of these steps can be done the night before to save you some time. Place the flour, butter and thyme into the food processor. Process until the mixture resuebles breadcrumbs. Add 1/4 cup of cold water and process until the mixture comes together in a ball. Place in some plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Lightly grease a 30cm loose-bottomed tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to 5mm thick and line the tart pan with it. Place back in the fridge for 15 mins whilst you preheat the oven to 180C.

Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 mins. Remove the paper and the weights and bake for a further 5 minutes. The pastry should be dry and pale golden. I found that my tart base shrunk a little bit during baking, but not enough to make a huge difference.

Heat the butter and oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until softened.

Add the beetroot, vinegar, thyme and sugar. Cook for 5-7 mins or until thickened. Spread the beetroot mixture over the tart base and top with crumbled goat's cheese.

Whisk the eggs, cream and nutmeg to combine. Pour into the tart case and scatter with extra thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 35 minutes or until set.

Combine the sour cream, horseradish and lemon juice. Season with salt. Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Once the tart is cooked, allow it to cool slightly as it should be served warm or cold. Serve with horseradish cream and salad.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx