Rachel de Thample is a woman after my own heart. A food writer, forager and advocate for seasonal and local produce, she has worked in the kitchens of Marco Pierre White, Peter Gordon and Hester Blumenthal. She was Commissioning Editor for Waitrose Food Illustrated, contributed to two Borough Market cookbooks and wrote a fabulous book called Less Meat, More Veg a few years ago. Did I mention that she is also a fellow South Londoner? Rachel is the Food Editor for one of the pioneers of the UK organic veg box schemes, Abel & Cole. She writes the most delicious, weekly seasonal recipes for them and also meets with food buyers to look at the ethical aspects of sourcing food. Her second book, called FIVE has just been published. It is full of varied, accessible and delicious recipes that will have you packing away fruits and vegetables without any effort at all. There is a very useful double page spread listing fruits and vegetables and their portion sizes and the recipes clearly state how many portions are in each recipe. And the recipes! There isn’t a single one which I wouldn’t make – from creative breakfast truffles and clever muffins to galettes, latkes, stunning salads, hearty soups, curries, pastries, cakes, puddings, sorbets…mouthwatering and while heavy on the fruit and vegetables, there are recipes which include fish and meat. I have a copy of FIVE to give away to a lucky reader which I will tell you about in another post but in the meantime just get your tastebuds going with some of these recipe titles – Mexican Roast Pumpkin Soup with Lime; Lemony Scrambled Eggs with Indian Spiced Spinach and Mushrooms; Sassy Cherry and Watercress Salad with Crushed Pistachios; Athenian Rissoles with Pavlos’ Sauce; Summer Veg Patch Gumbo with Chorizo and Crab; Honeyed Aubergine, Feta and Walnut Borek; Honey Blossom Peaches; Mulled Figs with Mascarpone…doesn’t it all sound delicious? In the meantime, inspired by the premise of the book and my complimentary Able and Cole veg box as well as my Sutton Community Farm veg box, I came up with a recipe which I hope Ms De Thample would approve of!
It is full of seasonal ingredients like ruby chard, mushrooms, leeks and one of my favourite winter ingredients – chestnuts; gently sautéed together with celery, garlic and thyme and a little lemon to sharpen the flavours, spread onto flakey puff pastry and topped with Barber’s delicious cheddar cheese.
My recipe has been featured over on the Happy Foodie website along with four other bloggers – take a look at what they have to say and what they made here – http://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/articles/number-five-challenge
Ruby Chard, Mushroom & Chestnut Tart
INGREDIENTS
- Bunch of ruby chard or swiss chard or spinach (approximately 250g)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 punnet shitake mushrooms
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- 75g vacuum packed cooked chestnuts
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder ilke Essentials or Marigold
- 1 good handful of grated Barbers Vintage Reserve Cheddar Cheese
- 1 x 320 g sheet of ready rolled, all butter puff pastry
- 2 eggs beaten with a tablespoon of milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill the sink with cold water and swish the chard around in it to loosen any soil. Leave the chard in the water to let any grit settle on the bottom of the sink. Carefully lift the chard out of the water, without disturbing the sediment on the bottom of the sink and gently shake off the excess water. Trim off the ends and cut out the stalks. Slice the stalks, on the diagonal into 3 cm pieces. Slice the leaves into wide ribbons. Keep them separate.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Dice the onions and slice the mushrooms and add these to the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little salt, squeeze over the juice of half a lemon then stir and cook until the onions are soft, floppy and golden and the mushrooms have caramelised. You may need to add a little more oil if the mushrooms soak it all up.
- While this is going on, finely dice the celery and and slice the leeks into 1 cm rings; coarsely chop the chestnuts – add to the pan with the chard stems and stir. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Finely chop the garlic and add to the pan along with the chard and thyme leaves. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes or until the chard has wilted.
- Sprinkle over the stock powder and add a splash of water – just enough to deglaze any caramelisation on the bottom of the pan and get everything nice and juicy but not wet! Turn the heat right down and let this simmer for a minute or two. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Unroll the pastry and score a 2 cm border around the perimeter. Transfer onto a parchment lined baking sheet/tray.
- Place the cooled chard mixture within the border and scatter over the grated cheddar cheese.
- Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten eggs and then gently drizzle the remainder of the egg mixture over the tart.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes and allow to cool a little before serving.
Eat warm or at room temperature. Serves 4 as a light main course with a salad and some cold cuts for the determined carnivores. Or slice into 12 and serve as part of a mezze for 6.
OMG! I think I need that book! And this dish, it’s gorgeous!!!! as I said, you are AMAZING!!! xxx
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Thanks Elaine – it’s a lovely book – excellent recipes which are so varied in scope.
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Oh my this looks brilliant Selma. .. loveeee it..
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Thanks Chitra – it didn’t last long enough to take properly staged photos – no left overs…
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What a lovely recipe – and what a great inspiration! Must have a peek at that book …
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Thanks Ginger – I think it was published today – it’s a great book – really good recipes from a very seasoned and experienced cook. There is literally nothing I didn’t like in it!
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Coming from you, that’s quite a recommendation!
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Me parece una receta estupenda. Dan ganas de probarla ya!
Saludos.
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Muchas gracias – Espero que tienes la oportunidad de probarlo. Yo no hablo español, pero estoy utilizando el traductor de google!
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Muchas gracias por utilizar el traductor, yo también lo hago a veces, pero a veces salen cosas un poco rara.
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I love to be inspired by new books as well as having the actual recipes to cook, your tart sounds delicious, I love the idea of chard and chestnuts together. I’ve marked this for the cooler months.
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Thanks Sandra – I so love chestnuts and look for ways to include them in things other than stuffing!
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When I saw the header I wasn’t seduced but it was the fabulous Selma and I had to trust. You did not disappoint, Selma! This looks great. I have a big bag of beet greens lingering in the freezer unloved that just may have found its place at the table!
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Haha, Johanne! Somehow Ruby Chard sounds so much more glamourous than Beet Greens…Glad you like it – it’s so easy to make and full of seasonal flavour!
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Looks delicious Selma. I’m finding that I am drawn to more vegetable based dishes these days (hence my recent obsession with Mr Ottolenghi) and am always on the look out for easy recipes to whip up. Ahhh chestnuts, immediately transported to my “post nursing training” 12 month stint in London. Will need to wait for our winter or do you think tinned ones would go the distance as opposed to Vacuum packed?
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I’ve never tried tinned – isn’t that usually a paste? If it’s not sweet, you could smear some on the pastry before topping it with the chard mix. Ever since Jake was born, I have been cooking with a huge amount of vegetables and also find myself craving them if life has been a bit meat heavy! Must have been fab working here for a year – London is such an amazing city!
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Hi Selma, your reply sent me on a search! Found this website which I will investigate this year as I love chestnuts ….http://www.cheznuts.com.au/products
Adore London! Have been back with my family once and plan on coming again soon! Dx
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Yum! Your recipe is beautiful! Wish I had a slice of that right now! The cookbook looks right up my alley too….I wonder if it is available in Canada…
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Thank Julianna – I’ve got a slice waiting for you…The book may be available on Kindle if it’s not out yet in book form. The kindle app on the iPad or computer is great for recipe books!
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GORGEOUS is less of a word Selma! I am a big fan of your tarts. You come up with the best ideas to use fresh produce and whip up some gorgeous tarts and pies. This is such a keeper. I am sure it tasted divine with all the flavors going on! Your tomato pie is already on my list and now this one. Amazing.
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Thanks Sonal – that is such a lovely thing to say! It’s so easy to make this sort of thing as long as you have some puff – just cook off whatever greens you have with the appropriate spices and away you go!
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I would in support of this beauty :)
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Wow! Sounds and looks delicious Selma!
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Thanks Lori x
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Selma, You are a woman after my own heart! I was salivating as I was reading the list of the recipes in the book. And, this exquisite recipe and what you made of it! It is so unique and so inviting. Thank you for sharing this beauty. :)
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It’s my pleasure, Fae – we both like big flavours so it’s no wonder that you liked the sound of the recipes! xx
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This looks awesome! I have to save this recipe ;)
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Looks lovely – and well done on your recent cheesy win :)
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Thanks so much – I am thrilled to bits – cheesy, I know!!
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This is the kind of Tart that I can devour in an instant, Selma :)
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Thanks so much – it didn’t last long enough to photograph properly!
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This looks seriously amazing. I love chestnuts and to prepare them in this way with this tart….just…yum.
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I always think that chestnuts are wasted in stuffing – there is so much going on with all the flavours plus the roast – in a vegetable tart, they get to shine – glad you like the tart.
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Beautiful Selma! Your tarts are always very “charming”!
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Thank you – they are a little too easy to throw together!
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Sounds like a great food building the five a day into what you cook and eat is definitely the easiest way not to miss out. I love chestnut mushrooms so this really appeals Lucy
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So glad to hear that Lucy – it’s actually quite easy to build eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables. You do need to start off with a plan or actively think about it, until it becomes second nature!
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Gorgeous recipe idea … Gotta take a look at that book :)
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FIVE is such a good recipe book – and I don’t normally gush but there is really nothing I wouldn’t like to make from it!
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Oh my Selma this is just the most beautiful edible I have seen all winter! The crust is just fabulous looking and with the Chestnuts and Shiitakes I am just swooning with hunger….a light lunch today!
I do not know of this book but it truly looks like one I would love. You always have the best stories to share. Happy Tuesday.
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Thanks Teresa – it’s just a matter of getting the right sort of ingredients together and putting them on pastry. I will post the reader giveaway soon. Hope you will join in! X
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I need this in my life.
Love the greens and aged cheese :-)
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Omg!! This looks amazing! 💜
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