Roasted Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 500g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into 5mm rounds
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry sheet
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150g soft goat's cheese log, sliced into rounds
• 50g walnut halves, roughly broken
• 80g rocket
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon, juice only
• fresh thyme leaves, to serve
• runny honey, to drizzle, to serve
• extra toasted walnut halves, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Toss the beetroot rounds with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, the leaves stripped from 3 thyme sprigs, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a large baking tray.
2. Roast the beetroot for 20 minutes, until tender to the tip of a knife and the edges are starting to caramelise and crisp.
3. Meanwhile, unroll the puff pastry onto a second baking tray lined with baking paper. Score a 2cm border around the edge with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through.
4. Brush the border with beaten egg, then prick the inner base all over with a fork to stop it doming.
5. Blind-bake the pastry case for 10 minutes, until the border is puffed and pale golden.
6. Remove the pastry from the oven and gently press down the centre if it has puffed up. Arrange the roasted beetroot rounds over the base in a single overlapping layer.
7. Scatter the goat's cheese rounds and broken walnuts evenly over the beetroot, drizzle with the honey, and tuck in the remaining 3 thyme sprigs.
8. Return the tart to the oven for 12–15 minutes, until the pastry border is deep golden and crisp and the goat's cheese is soft and lightly bronzed at the edges.
9. While the tart bakes, toss the rocket with the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper, and set aside.
10. Slide the tart onto a board, scatter with fresh thyme leaves and extra toasted walnuts, and finish with a generous drizzle of honey. Serve with the dressed rocket alongside and lemon wedges for squeezing.