Fresh from the garden to the kitchen

Vegetarian spinach main course

Spinach and ricotta cheesecake

Vegetarian and Gluten Free

This is a fantastic, tasty and easy to prepare vegetarian dish to have up your sleeve. It has the added advantage of being naturally GLUTEN FREE.

An unusual savoury cheesecake – this recipe often makes people wary when you first tell them what it is, but as soon as they taste it all inhibitions leave and they settle in to enjoy a really tasty dish. I recommend any kind of potatoes or rice on the side plus a colourful stir fry of mixed veg including carrot, mixed peppers and possibly some broccoli.

Serves 6

Preparation 10 mins, cooking time 50 mins. Allow one hour before serving.

Spinach, ricotta and herb cheesecake

butter for greasing

125g walnuts, toasted then blitzed to a crumb

1 tbsp oil for frying

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 spring onions, finely chopped

300g spinach, tough stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped

small handful each of parsley, basil & dill

3 eggs

500g ricotta

50g parmesan or vegetarian equivalent

Preheat oven to 160oC.

Grease a 20cm cake tin well with butter.

Press walnuts around based and sides.

Heat 1 tbp oil or knob of butter and fry spring onion and garlic for 1 min.

Add spinach and fry until wilted (just a few minutes).

Put spinach mixture, eggs, ricotta, parmesan and herbs in food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. Bake for about 45mins until set. Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.

A very useful vegetarian spinach main course to have in your folder for emergencies or when you’re expecting vegetarian guests. Looks spectacular and is extremely moreish.