BEETROOT & CITRUS TART

plus some Valencia highlights and recommendations

Good morning all!

I am back from holiday and feeling deeply refreshed and raring to go - which is a relief! I left on the brink of burnout and overwhelm, having really hustled for the last couple of months. All it took was a few days wandering around a European city, soaking up the sun, exploring markets, swimming in the ocean and eating my body weight in anchovies. As soon as I leave London, I am always reminded of the need to take a break, and I know it was a good one when I land back into Stansted airport fizzing with excitement for the next chapter. London is feeling good right now, the sun is making a semi regular appearance, festivals are in full swing, there’s a general feeling of hope in the air and the good tomatoes are back.

I think part of the reason I’ve come back feeling so rejuvenated is that I wasn’t constantly taking notes, pictures and videos to put together a guide to the city on my return. Whilst I love sharing these guides, they do leave a work coloured stain on a holiday and it was very refreshing to just be there, soak it up and not be subconsciously thinking about editing a video on my return. Having said that, we did eat some rather stunning food, and it goes against my morals to not share that with the people I love the most (you). So you will find a few recommendations and Valencia related thoughts below, including my recent favourite SPF find that has, I kid you not, changed my relationship with sun protection.

I’m very excited to be sharing this week’s recipe too, the bright pink star of our Spring Supper Club. This tart took quite a bit of development, we knew we wanted to balance the sweetness of the curd with a little earthy beetroot note, plus we wanted the colour to really pop and for it to set really well so we could get neat little slices. I spent 8 years working at Meringue Girls and during that time I made many a Lemon Meringue Pie, so I had a pretty strong idea of how the curd needed to go and that the addition of Agar Agar would be crucial. If you aren’t familiar with this ingredient, it is a game changer for setting curds, jellies and creams if you are plant based and would rather not use gelatine - it’s made from seaweed and is an absolute feat of nature!

Whilst this tart is beautiful, delicious and an absolute show stopper for any dinner table, it’s also a labour of love. You have to blind back the pastry, make and set the curd overnight and then tackle a batch of Italian Meringue, so it’s not for the faint hearted, but it is very much worth the effort. I’m very excited to see some of your creations, so please do send me some snaps if you give it a go!

Next week I will be sharing the next episode of Second Helpings, a behind the scenes look into the first stop on my book tour in my hometown of Ripon - so keep your eyes peeled for that one!

Until then, sending love, Rosie x

WHAT I ATE IN VALENCIA