Rustic Beet Tart with Cashew Ricotta, Orange Zest, Walnuts & Basil

It’s a shame to admit that I've had a lack of inspiration in the kitchen lately. I think I’m in a bit of a food rut. My CSA shares have been a bit underwhelming, & I’ve been busy & tired, & either eating out more than usual or eating the same boring salad. Not exciting or blog-worthy. Cooking is typically a means of stress relief for me, & spending a weekend afternoon in the kitchen usually gives me so much joy, even if I am only cooking for myself. So, I decided it was time to get back in the kitchen & I popped a bottle of French bubbles, turned on some music & kicked back in my kitchen. I’ve been craving a trip to Paris, & French-style comfort food, veganized, of course, in the likes of tarts, pastries, soufflés, cheeses, etc.

A package of puff pastry had been tucked away in my freezer for months, a bunch of beets was hanging tough in the crisper, & that ongoing craving for cashew cheese is always nagging away at me. Put all of these ideas together & a shred of inspiration ignited. But first...

My original inspiration was to make my standby cashew goat cheese, but as I am in a bit of a food rut, I thought it might be a good idea to expand my vegan cheese repertoire a little bit. After a few searches through my favorite blogs, I came upon a cashew ricotta recipe from Kathy Patalsky. She offered a few flavor variations & one, in particular, caught my eye - thyme & citrus. I changed things up by using Herbs de Provence along with the orange zest.

CASHEW RICOTTA WITH ORANGE ZEST & HERBS DE PROVENCE

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan (adapted from Healthy. Happy. Life.) Recipe Type: Nut Cheese, Spread, Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of soaked raw cashews, drained

• 1 fresh garlic clove

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup almond milk

• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 Tbsp dried Herbs de Provence

• 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

• zest of 1/2 of a small orange

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add raw cashews to a big bowl of water & soak for about 2-4 hours. Then drain & add to a food processor.

2. Add in the lemon juice, almond milk, maple & olive oil

3. Blend on high until smooth. This may take a few minutes depending on the strength of your food processor. If your ricotta is looking too dry, add more milk &/or oil

4. Add in the Herbs de Provence, orange zest, pepper, garlic & salt. Pulse until blended.

As Kathy says you can “spread it, bake it, dip it” & I can imagine this creamy cashew ricotta would be good on just about anything but I was especially excited about how wonderful it was going to taste layered between golden puff pastry & sweet roasted beets.

For this recipe, I kept it simple & used store-bought (Pepperidge Farm) vegan puff pastry sheets, however, if you are the ambitious type (I am but only to a point) everyone’s favorite Vegan Dad has a recipe for homemade puff pastry here.

Then, I lightly roasted some beets, & then assembled & baked the tart with a little guidance from this lovely blog. When the oven timer chimed & I pulled the tart from the oven, I knew I was in for a scrumptious feast. Golden, flakey puff pastry, baked herbed cashew ricotta, sweet roasted beets, with fragrant orange, zesty basil - need I say more? Sweet, savory, & buttery goodness. There are so many ways to enjoy this beautiful tart.

RUSTIC BEET TART WITH CASHEW RICOTTA, ORANGE ZEST, WALNUTS & BASIL

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan (Adapted from Dessert for Breakfast)

Recipe Type: Main Dish or Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 small red beets, peeled

• olive oil

• Fresh thyme sprigs

• sea salt & pepper, to taste

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

• 1 1/2 cup prepared cashew ricotta

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• Orange zest

• Chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets: line one with foil & the other with parchment paper.

2. Slice the peeled beets into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Lightly coat with olive oil. Toss with dried thyme leaves & a bit of salt & pepper.Lay the beet slices on the foil-lined baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.

3. Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry into an 8 x 8-inch square. Transfer to the baking sheet lined with parchment.

4. Spread a generous layer of cashew ricotta on the puff pastry, leaving about an inch or two along each side. Next, arrange the beet slices. Roll the puff pastry edges up to create a free-form crust, pinching the corners.

5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F & continue to bake for 25-30 more minutes, until the pastry is golden brown & the beets are fork-tender. Remove from oven & let cool briefly. Sprinkle with fresh orange zest, chopped walnuts, & herbs.

Note: I decided to throw a little fresh basil on there just for fun. I love basil’s citrusy notes & thought it would be a bright companion to the sweet orange zest.

This would make a wonderful appetizer at a dinner party, sliced into small squares & enjoyed with a bit of crisp wine. It would be a crowd-pleaser for sure. I enjoyed mine as a meal with a salad of wild rocket, simply dressed with olive oil & lemon juice.

Ohhh, & some French bubbles to wash it down. What could be better than that?