Goats Cheese Tart with Chi­aven­nasca and Spinach

(serves 6)

1 cup whole­meal flour
1/2 cup cold but­ter, cut in chunks
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup soft goats cheese
2 tbsps creme fraiche
3 hands­ful spinach leaves
8 slices Chiavennasca
2 tsps butter
4 cloves gar­lic, minced
1/2 medi­um white onion, minced
1/4 cup grat­ed pecori­no or parme­san cheese

Now what, you ask, is Chi­aven­nasca? Well, it’s an Ital­ian air-dried beef, mar­i­nat­ed in spices and pep­per­corns and white wine and aged, then sliced thin. It is sim­ply deli­cious, but if you can’t find it, you can always use Par­ma ham, or indeed, skip the meat and keep it a veg­e­tar­i­an dish.

Put the flour and but­ter and thyme in your Mag­im­ix and whizz until the but­ter is whol­ly incor­po­rat­ed and the mix­ture begins to stick togeth­er as a dough. Add more but­ter if need­ed. Press even­ly into a 12-inch tart pan.

In a medi­um bowl, mix the eggs, goats cheese and creme fraiche. Whizz the spinach leaves in the Mag­im­ix until fine­ly chopped, then mix in with the cream mix­ture. Saute the gar­lic and onion in the but­ter and mix into the cream mix­ture. Rough­ly chop the dried beef and mix in with the cream mix­ture, then pour all into the tart pan and sprin­kle with the grat­ed cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 min­utes or until the grat­ed cheese is slight­ly browned and bub­bly. Deli­cious warm or cold!