All efforts count. At SUSAN BIJL, we are lucky to have Monique, who prepares our lunch three times a week. We support a vegetarian diet and believe there's more to lunch than bread and cheese. There is nothing wrong with this typical
Dutch tradition, a favourite of ours. Still, we encourage a variety in what we eat and present to our team—emphasising what's in season and buying organic and locally farmed where possible.
After finishing her cooking course at the Gimsel Academy Rotterdam, Monique started working with us at the end of 2021. It's been a true delight to discover and celebrate what each vegetable season offers. Throughout winter, there was an abundance of beetroot, celeriac and cabbages. Monique explains that, as we approach Spring, we naturally gravitate towards a time of transition. After the much-needed cabbage and potato dishes during the colder months (i.e. stamppot, another Dutch tradition), we are getting now ready for a 'Spring cleanse'.
We're sharing one of our favourite recipes of the season; a delicious beetroot Tarte Tatin. This dish has functional qualities; onion and fennel seeds look after the salvia that has been building up in our cavities. The beetroot gives it a touch of late winter while we patiently wait for Spring.
Beetroot Tarte Tatin with goat's cheese
If possible, fry everything in an ovenproof or cast-iron pan so you can use the same pan in the oven. Not to worry; if not, you can prepare everything in a separate pan and transfer the layers to an oven dish of your choice later.
Ingredients:
700g beetroot
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
2 onions
3 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
100g goat's cheese
Pastry dough
Rocket leaves to serve
Preheat your oven to 180 ºC.
Boil 700g beetroot in a pan of water for about 20/30 minutes until soft, then set aside to cool.
In an ovenproof or cast-iron pan, briefly heat 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds. Remove from the pan and set aside. Thinly slice 2 onions. Heat some oil in the same pan and fry your onions slowly till they are soft. Add the roasted fennel seeds, 3 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Boil everything down until your reach a syrup-like substance. Leave in the pan for now.
Remove the skin of the now cooled down beetroot and cut in slices of about 5mm. Spread the beetroot on top of the onion mixture. Scatter half of 100g goat's cheese on top of the beetroot. Repeat with another layer of beetroot slices and the rest of the goat's cheese. Cover everything with a layer of pastry dough and prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and firm. When done, carefully invert onto a plate. Add the last of the goats cheese and serve with rocket for a splash of green!
This recipe is translated and slightly adjusted from odin.nl.