Categories: July, picnic

Ingredients

• 25g butter, plus 100g chilled and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 large garlic clove
• 225g baby leaf spinach
• 300g mild soft goat's cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 large egg
• 142ml double cream
• 150g roasted red peppers (from a jar), roughly sliced
• 200g plain flour

Directions

1. Make the pastry. Whizz the flour and the 100g diced butter in a food processor until it resembles crumbs. Add the unbeaten egg and 2 teaspoons of cold water and whizz until it just comes together. Tip onto a floured surface and knead briefly into a ball. Roll out thinly and use to line a deep, fluted 23cm flan tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas 6.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a deep pan over a medium heat, melt the remaining butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season and set aside.

3. Remove the pastry case from the freezer and fill with baking paper and baking beans. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, and cook for a further 5-8 minutes until pale-golden. Set aside. Reduce the oven to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas 4.

4. Meanwhile, beat the goat’s cheese in a large bowl until soft. Mix in the eggs and cream, add the spinach mix and peppers, season and gently stir. Spoon into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set.
5. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a rack. Serve warm or cold with a green salad.

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