Silver beet & Feta Tart

Serves 4

For years I have avoided making tarts and quiches because of the time consuming method of chilling and rolling pastry. So I decided to cut this part out, read on to find out how easy it is to make delicious melt-in-the-mouth pastry from scratch.

Prep time 30-40 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Make the pastry:

250g unbleached flour
Sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme
Generous pinch of sea salt
100g cold butter, cubed
1 free-range egg
Cold milk if needed

Filling:

2 medium onions, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
3-4 large stalks silver beet, washed and chopped
250g or 1 cup quark or sour cream
2 free-range eggs
Handful of freshly grated parmesan
Salt & pepper
100g feta, crumbled

Grease a 25cm round pie dish and place in the freezer while you make the pastry.

Put the flour, herbs and salt in a food processor. Blitz to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse to create a bread-crumb like consistency. With the engine going add the egg, and milk if needed, until the pastry comes together into pea-sized balls. Remove the chilled pie dish from the freezer and tip in the crumbly pastry. Work quickly to evenly press the pastry into the base with your fingers. Chill the tart case in the freezer while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven 190C

In a sauce pan sauté the onions in the oil for 15-20 minutes until soft and caramelized. (You may need to add a little hot water if they dry out.) Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and tip into a bowl to cool. Using the same sauce pan wilt the silver beet with a little water. Once tender and the liquid has evaporated remove from the heat and cool.

Whisk together the quark (or sour cream), eggs, parmesan and seasoning. Spread the onions and silver beet evenly in the base of the tart and sprinkle with feta. Pour over the quark mixture, shaking gently to evenly cover.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custard is set and the crust golden. It will still be a bit wobbly but will set as it cools. Serve with green salad.