Polenta, zucchini and feta tart

In summer we don't feel like cooking and spending hours in front of the stove, but we can't live on salads alone. Savoury tarts are a good solution to serve at a summer dinner. It is true that we tend to use wheat flour as a base for our tarts, but there are actually other good, healthy options that are a little different from the usual ones. With this polenta, courgette and feta tart we will win over our guests, who will find in it a tasty corn flavour in the base, and a juicy filling made from eggs, feta and courgette; the latter with a crunchy texture.

Polenta is corn semolina with a very fine yellow grain. It is a cereal that does not contain gluten and is very digestible, which is why people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can eat it. Its properties include that it is a good source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, carotenoids, folic acid, fiber and essential fatty acids. It is also an important source of B vitamins.

I have used feta cheese for this recipe but ricotta, or a fresh cow or goat cheese are also very good alternatives .

Making this tart is quick and easy ; you can even prepare the base in advance and finish it the next day. What makes it really attractive is the finishing touch of the zucchini, which we cut with a mandolin and roll into a spiral. This tart is best served warm and straight from the oven, because the polenta will be crispier, but when reheated it will become the envy of all your Tupperware containers .

De Buyer Non-Stick Rectangular Baking Pan with Removable Base

Ingredients

Cake base:

• 125gr of polenta
• 500ml vegetable broth
• 2 tsp oregano or Provencal herbs
• Salt and pepper
• Oil
• De Buyer rectangular mould with removable base

Stuffed:

• 3 medium zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 150gr of feta
• 250ml rice milk (you can use cow's milk if you wish)
• 4 tablespoons of homemade pesto
• Salt and pepper

Elaboration

Prepare the cake base

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
2. Brush a 10 x 35cm tart tin with olive oil. Cut some baking paper to the size of the tin and place it on the base and brush with oil again.
3. Heat the vegetable broth and when it starts to boil add the polenta and season. Mix and keep stirring for a couple of minutes until it is completely cooked and has a paste-like consistency.
4. Turn off the heat, add the spices and continue mixing.
5. Without letting it rest, pour the mixture into the mould and, using a spatula first and then your hands, spread the mixture over the bottom and around the edges of the mould until it is even. Bake the mixture in the oven at 200ºC for 30 minutes until it is crispy.

Prepare the filling

1. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper, add the milk and crumbled feta cheese and mix with the blender for a bit. Leave the chunks and set aside.
2. Cut the zucchini into thin strips using a mandolin , roll the strips up like a cannelloni and stick toothpicks in to hold them in place and maintain the spiral shape until you put them in the mould. Set aside.
3. Take the polenta pie base and cover with 4 tablespoons of pesto, add the egg and feta mixture and place the zucchini spirals on top, pressing them together to prevent them from opening too much during cooking.
4. Place back in the oven at 180º C for 20 to 25 minutes until the filling has set.
5. Serve warm or cold. Accompany with a salad.

De Buyer Non-Stick Rectangular Baking Pan with Removable Base