Why is it that whenever I get inspiration for our recipe of the week from Ursula Heinzelmann, it always ends up being something baked? ... Last time, it was a Romanesco tart with blue cheese – this time, it's a freestyle version of a beetroot tarte tatin with Piedmont hazelnuts, olives, and two types of cheese. Perhaps something in her recipes brings out the baker in me?
Anyway... Ursula was in our shop recently for a photo shoot, and that inspired me to leaf through her wonderful book "Erlebnis Essen" (Eating Experience), which also contains the recipe for the other tart. I was nibbling on some of our heavenly hazelnuts from Piedmont and quickly stumbled upon the recipe for the beetroot tarte tatin. A combination of these two wonderful ingredients immediately took shape in my head: beetroot and hazelnuts, what a perfect match! Because I wanted a spicy hard cheese to go with the nuts, I quickly added Parmesan and Pecorino Fiore Sardo. This Sardinian hard cheese made from raw sheep's milk is very intense and has subtle smoky notes. It goes very well with membrillo, the quince pulp you may already know from our shop or from your vacation in Spain. There, it's eaten with Manchego. And if our Pecorino goes well with Membrillo, I figured it would work well with beetroot too. Besides, it's one of my favorite cheeses right now. As the final ingredient, I chose Nyons olives. These dry-cured, slightly shriveled black olives add a very special touch to any dish. Try adding a few to your ratatouille, to a tomato sauce, or a cucumber, tomato, and watermelon salad...
How wonderfully inspiring cooking (or baking) can be – you just have to gather all your favorite ingredients… and you’re ready to go!
Ingredients (for 3 - 4 people as a side dish):
- 40g butter
- 2 - 3 scoops of beetroot
- 1 generous handful of hazelnuts
- approx. 10 Nyons olives
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used the Merlot vinegar from Forum )
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 200g puff pastry
Preparation:
Generously grease a round tart tin with approximately 23 cm in diameter with butter. Halve the beetroot, cut into thin slices, and arrange them in a circle, overlapping each other. The original recipe calls for two layers of beetroot; for my version, I replaced the second layer with hazelnuts and olives.
Split the hazelnuts in half and the olives in half. Remove the stones (this is relatively easy with Nyons olives, and you don't need a stoner, just a simple sharp knife). Then scatter the nuts and olives over the beets.
Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, drizzle with one to one and a half tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and scatter 20g of butter in flakes on top.
Roll out the puff pastry into a round shape about 2cm larger than the tin, place it on the tin and carefully push the excess edge between the tin and the beetroot.
Prick the dough several times with a fork and chill the tart for at least 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
... only then place a round baking sheet over it and turn it out with a quick movement.
This already looks great and would certainly taste fantastic on its own, but I was curious to see how it would pair with the cheese. Roughly chop or crumble the Fiore Sardo and/or Parmesan and sprinkle it over the tart. Finally, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top. I chose dill and cilantro because I find the combination of beets and cilantro unbeatable.
Our conclusion: the tart is a treasure trove of flavors – the beets give it a mild, earthy aroma, while the vinegar adds a sweet, acidic touch. The nuts, for their part, underscore the mild flavor of the tart and provide a lovely crunchy change, while the olives, with their aromatic Mediterranean spice, lend the tart the necessary savoriness. The intense cheese and fresh herbs round out the bouquet and allow all the flavors to shine.
A green salad with a vinaigrette made from the same vinegar goes perfectly with this dish. Bon appétit!
Our wine recommendations: Château Argadens Blanc AOC Bordeaux Supérieur is a fresh, white Bordeaux with a powerful nose featuring notes of mango and pineapple, enhanced by woody oak and vanilla. On the palate, this wine is balanced, full-bodied, smooth, and pleasantly fresh. Typical Sauvignon Blanc. A very round, characterful wine with a long, fresh finish.
Alternatively, we recommend the Pouilly-Fumé 2015 "Les Angelots" with aromas of white flowers and citrus fruits and a high minerality, which goes perfectly with the earthy, mild taste of the beetroot.
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The original recipe is by © Ursula Heinzelmann and can be found in her book "Erlebnis Essen: Vom Duft der Erdbeere und der Würze des Teltower Rübchens" (Eating Experience: From the Scent of the Strawberry and the Spice of the Teltower Turnip) , published in 2006 by Fischer Scherz Verlag.
