sweet and spicy souvenirs - antique chopping board and spinach and ricotta tart

sweet and spicy souvenirs - antique chopping board and spinach and ricotta tart

• 12 Dec 2011

When I went overseas this year, I had a very short shopping list. It went something like this - antique wooden board and ceramic spoons. I found the bread board in Van Weerde at Herenstraat 17 in Amsterdam and posted it back home to Australia. Jeroen packaged the board so carefully it arrived without a single dint or scratch but you should have seen me struggling to get it back home from the post office.



I now have quite a collection of boards but none quite so large or distressed as this one. But what to cook? I work in a hospital and our waiting room is filled with out of date magazines. Whilst leafing through one of them I found this recipe for a spinach and ricotta tart. I knew I had some puff pastry and spinach in the freezer so I went down to the local fruit shop to buy the fresh herbs.



It's very quick and simple to make and my dinner was on the table in no time at all.

The finished product topped with some extra dill and mint. I only made one of the tarts so I had leftover filling and with a bit of smoked salmon it makes a very tasty sandwich filling. Next time though I think I'll crumble in some feta cheese to make the filling a bit more spanakopita like.

I had such a busy weekend. I went to 2 Christmas parties; I've arranged all the Christmas presents and written half of the cards and managed to complete most of my Christmas baking. You should have seen me up to my elbows in chocolate, butter and nuts. Can you believe Christmas is almost here?

How are you going with your Christmas preparations?

Jillian