Three Cheese Spinach Tart

Last weekend we visited Nathan's aunty and she gave us huge amount of spinach from her garden, so we had to find a way to use it all up. Nathan wanted to make a spinach pie that his parents make. So he called them for the recipe... and they weren't home (I know, how rude of them not to just be hanging around waiting for our call to give us a recipe when we need it). Anyway, Nath had a vague idea of what they used to cook and my mum also had a spinach quiche recipe that I could remember some of. Not going into the ensuing conversation about the differences between pies, tarts and quiches (tarts don't have lids-pies do!), I decided to make a spinach tart with three different types of cheese. Mmm cheese! Why use one type when you can use three? Here is my recipe:

Ingredients ~

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 1/4 brown onion, finely diced
• oil
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 75g feta, crumbled
• 2 tbsp milk
• pepper
• sea salt flakes
• ~1/3 cup grated tasty cheese

To Bake ~

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Put the puff pastry into a tart tin and press into the bottom and up the sides. Use any that over hangs to fill in any gaps on the sides. 
• Prick holes all over the pastry with a fork and then put into the oven.
• Separate the green leaves of the spinach from the bitter white stem. Roughly slice the leaves into strips and steam them. It should take only 1-2mins for the leaves to wilt (they will go a vibrant green and reduce in size by about 2/3, then they are done).
• Remove the spinach from the steamer and squeeze out the excess fluid from the leaves (this is easy done with a pair of tongs). Put the spinach in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Now fry the onion in some oil over low heat until soft and translucent.
• Put the onion, egg, feta, ricotta and milk in the bowl with the spinach and combine well, making sure all of the egg has been broken up. 
• By now the pastry in the oven will have started to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and pat down the base with a spoon. 
• Pour the spinach mixture into the pastry case you have made. Grate some tasty cheese over the top and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. 
• Put the tart into the oven and cook for another 30mins or until set. It is ready when the pastry is a golden brown colour and the mixture feels firm.
• Serve and enjoy :) 

mmm pie.. I mean tart!

yummy flaky pastry