This Scandinavian Beetroot tart is such a winning recipe. Vibrant and delicious entree or side dish is sure to impress your family and friends.
Beetroot Tart with Fennel, Dill and Feta Cheese
As you probably know, European cuisine is my thing. I grew up in Europe, visited many countries and tried all the delicious food of the regions.
Scandinavian food, in particular is quite special. First of all, it has lots of seafood. If you happen to be in Norway, you'll be amazed that they serve fish even at breakfast. If you need to boost your Omega-3 intake, go to Norway.
Second of all, in their recipes, Scandinavians combine the ingredients, that we would never have thought to put together in a dish.
Take this Beetroot Tart. For ages, I consumed beet only as an ingredient in Ukrainian Borsch or in a Beet Salad. These are pretty much the only recipes I was buying my beets for.
Recently, I was at Barnes and Nobles and while quickly skimming through the recipe books shelf, I noticed a cookbook of Scandinavian Recipes. The first recipe that got my attention was Beetroot Tart. I know what you're thinking. Beets in a tart don't seem like a delicious combo. But it definitely intrigued me and having a hidden love to Scandinavian recipes, I decided to give this one a try.
The original recipe calls for rye flour, but I didn't have one and used whole wheat flour, which, I think, worked beautifully in a recipe.
The combination of slightly sweet beets, aromatic fennel and creamy mixture of Crème fraîche and Feta Cheese makes this Scandinavian tart a unique dish that will bring new sensations to your tastebuds. It's fresh, colourful and delicious.
Serve it warm or cold with a side salad.
Ingredients
- 3 300 grams raw beets
- 1 fennel bulb
- 200 ml crème fraîche
- 100 ml milk
- 2 tablespoons dill
- 2 eggs
- 200 grams Feta cheese crumbled
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 25 grams walnuts chopped
- olive oil
- salt pepper
For the crust
- 1 stick about 113 grams butter, slightly softened and cubed
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams whole wheat flour
- 1 egg yolk
- a pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- In a medium pot, place beets, add water to cover and cook on a medium heat until beets are soft, about 1 hour. You can add more water along the way. When beets are cooked, remove from the water, cool, peel and thinly sliced.
To make a crust
- In a bowl of standing mixer, combine flour, butter and salt. Pulse on a high until combined. While the mixer is running, add the egg yolk and water and process just until all ingredients are mixed. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop fronds and stalks off from the fennel and trim the bottoms. Cut the fennel bulb lengthwise and remove the core. Thinly slice.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet and on a medium heat. Add sliced fennel and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Remove the dough from plastic and roll it out to an 12-inch circle. Carefully place the dough into a fluted, loose-based round tart pan, approximately 11 in in diameter. Prick the dough with the fork several times.
- Bake for 10 min minutes. Remove from the oven.
- In a medium bowl, combine crème fraîche, milk, Feta, 1 tablespoon of dill, salt and pepper. Beat in 2 eggs. MIx well.
- Evenly lay sautéed fennel across the tart base. Add ⅓ of the crème fraîche mixture. Evenly lay beet slices over the tart and drizzle with the remaining crème fraîche mixture. Scatter chopped walnuts on top and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of dill.
- Enjoy warm or cold!
Amanda Mason says
Wow - absolutely beautiful! Can't wait to try this! Excellent recipe and picture!
Iryna says
Thank you Amanda!
Anne says
This is so pretty! And I'm sure delicious too!
Iryna says
Thank you Anne! It was really good!