Beetroot and goat’s cheese quiche

By: David Frenkiel, Luise Vindahl Andersen
From: Green Kitchen At Home
Serves: 4
Photographer: David Frenkiel

Now might be a good time to ask: do you like beetroot? We’ve heard that some people loathe it but we obviously don’t feel the same way. This sweet, earthy colour-explosion of a root is incredibly versatile and lovely to use in cooking. In this book, it features in bread, juice, crepes, burgers and salads.

Here, it is the star ingredient of a quiche, paired with its two best friends, goat’s (chevre) cheese and walnuts. Tons of mint add a sharp contrast to the beetroot’s sweetness and nuttiness. If the beetroot has healthy-looking greens, we use them in this recipe, too. Otherwise they can be replaced with spinach, chard or kale.

If you answered ‘no’ to the question above, may we just apologise for our obsession with the root (but deep inside we still hope that you will give our beetroot recipes a chance and that they will help you overcome your aversion).

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

Pastry

Quantity	Ingredient
100g	rolled oats
50g	almond or walnut flour
50g	rice or spelt flour
40g	linseeds
2 tablespoons	arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon	sea salt
80g	butter, cubed and chilled, or virgin coconut oil, plus extra to grease

Filling

Quantity	Ingredient
250g	raw beetroot, trimmed and peeled, tops reserved for filling
1 tablespoon	virgin coconut oil
1	red onion, peeled
3	garlic cloves
2 teaspoons	fresh thyme leaves
or 1 teaspoon	dried thyme
20	fresh mint leaves
100g	raw beetroot tops or spinach
2 tablespoons	organic apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons	runny honey, plus extra to drizzle
	sea salt
	freshly ground black pepper
3	free-range eggs
120ml	plant-based milk of choice
100g	soft goat’s cheese
12	walnuts

To Serve

Quantity	Ingredient
	full-fat plain turkish or greek yoghurt, (optional)
	fresh mint leaves

Method

Place all of the dry pastry ingredients in a food processor and blend until the texture resembles coarse flour. Add the butter and blend until combined, then add 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture comes together. Remove the dough from the processor, knead it slightly then shape it into a ball. Wrap in cling film and set aside in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 cm diameter quiche dish or tart tin.
Unwrap the chilled dough. Place it in the dish or tin and press it out evenly to cover the base and sides, making sure that it’s flush with the edges of the dish. Prick the pastry base with a fork and bake blind for about 12 minutes or until the pastry is firm and slightly golden. Remove from the oven, set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.
Grate the beetroot on the fine or medium side of a box grater then set aside. Heat the oil in the pan on a medium-low heat. Thinly slice the onion, finely chop the garlic and add them to the pan, along with the thyme. Sauté for about 15 minutes or until the onion has softened and remove from the heat.
Roughly chop the mint, add to the pan along with the beetroot tops or spinach, vinegar or lemon juice and honey and stir through while the vegetables are still warm so that the greens wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Crack the eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the milk and whisk until combined. Add the vegetables to the bowl and stir until combined.
Spread the grated beetroot over the pastry base, pour the quiche filling on top, leaving the outer edge uncovered so that the beetroot is still visible, and crumble over the goat’s cheese.
Roughly chop the walnuts, scatter on top, drizzle with honey and bake for 30–45 minutes or until the filling is firm and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before slicing.
Serve the quiche slightly warm, topped with a dollop of yoghurt, if desired, a few mint leaves and a drizzle of honey.