Recipe by Brenda Fawdon and image by Christine Sharp from Eat Local Volume 2
This deep-tin tart is jam-packed with nourishing greens. If you like, you can replace the spinach in this recipe with kale, silverbeet or use a mixture of leaves — as long as you’re eating your greens!
INGREDIENTS
2 bunches spinach, or silverbeet, or baby spinach leaves
1 bunch green onions (shallots), cleaned and thinly sliced, or spring onions
300 g feta, crumbled into chunks
2 lemons, zest only
½ nutmeg pod, finely grated, or 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
10 eggs
250 ml cream
WHOLEMEAL SHORTCRUST PASTRY
2 cups plain or spelt wholemeal flour
2 tablespoons black (or white) sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
100 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 egg, chilled
a little iced water, if required
METHOD
To make the pastry, place the flour, sesame seeds and salt in a food processor and process for a minute. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is flaked through the flour. Add the egg and pulse until the pastry just comes together. Add a little iced water if the pastry is too dry. Continue to process to bring the pastry together. Shape the pastry into a disc and wrap in biodegradable cling wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until required.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 24 cm spring-form cake tin. Half-fill a stockpot with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Submerge the spinach leaves in the water and blanch for 2–3 minutes. Drain the leaves into a colander and run cold water over them. When cool enough to handle, tightly squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove the excess water. Thinly slice the spinach and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the spring onions, feta, zest, spice and seasoning. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and cream.
Remove the pastry from the fridge. It may take 5–10 minutes to soften enough to roll out. Cut the pastry in half. Lightly flour a bench and roll out half of the pastry for the base to 3 mm thick. When the pastry is rolled out, place the base of the spring-form tin on the pastry and cut around it with the point of a paring knife. Place the pastry into the base of the tin. Roll out the remaining pastry half and cut 6 cm wide strips to fit the sides of the tin. Press the strips into the tin side, overlap slightly and press together. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes or until the pastry has firmed up, if you have the time.
Scrape the egg mixture into the spinach mixture and thoroughly mix together. Place the spinach filling into the pastry-lined tin and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve slices of tart with your favourite salad.
