• Herbed ricotta tart

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 50 mins plus 30 mins to chill

    Ingredients

    • HERBED PASTRY
    • 250g whole-wheat flour
    • 5ml (1 tsp) sea salt
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh rosemary, chopped
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves, chopped
    • 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
    • 125ml (½ cup) cold water
    • FILLING
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
    • 6 spring onions, washed and sliced
    • 200g ricotta cheese
    • 150g crème fraîche
    • 10ml (2 tsp) fresh thyme leaves, chopped
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1

    For the pastry, combine the flour, salt and herbs in a large mixing bowl.

    2

    Add the oil and mix slowly to start forming a dough. Slowly add the water and mix until a fairly stiff dough forms. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into circles large enough to fit 10cm fluted tart tins.

    3

    Grease the tart tins and place the rolled pastry in the tins. Trim off any excess pastry and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

    4

    While the pastry chills, preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the pastry from the fridge, prick with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

    5

    For the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the spring onions for 3 minutes until they just begin to soften. Remove from the heat and cool.

    6

    Combine the spring onions, ricotta, crème fraîche, thyme and egg, and season. Mix well and spoon into the prepared pastry cases.

    7

    Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until set and golden