Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake


I looooove regular cheesecake and so was super intrigued by this savoury vegetable cheesecake I discovered in the wonderful The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest. The cheese used is mostly ricotta with some mozzarella and parmesan. The vegetables are zucchini, onions, carrot, parsley, garlic and tomato. Add in some salt, pepper and herbs, put it in a cheesecake pan, bake it and you have savoury vegetable cheesecake!


It was really yummy, and I love this idea for a vegetarian main (and will likely make more savoury cheesecakes in the future). But I do think it needs the tang and uncreamyness (totally made that word up) of tomato sauce to complement it because it's so rich. I ended up eating it with red sauce and pasta all mixed together - so basically like a broken down lasagna. Let me know if you have a good savoury cheesecake recipe! I'd love to try out a different version.


Abby feet!


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Butternut Squash Casserole
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Feta and Ricotta Cheese Pie

Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake
Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Serves 6 (but would serve more if you ate it with pasta as I did)

3 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 3 or 4 small zucchini)
a little salt
a little oil for the pan
1 tsp olive oil
1 minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated carrot
2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (could omit this)
3 cups (1 1/2 lbs) ricotta cheese
1 packed cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 beaten eggs
black pepper to taste
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced into rounds, with each round sliced in half (into "Ds")

1. Place the grated zucchini in a colander over a sink. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, carrot, flour, and dried herbs, and cook, stirring over medium heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in garlic, parsley, and lemon juice.

4. Place the cheeses and eggs in a large bowl, and beat vigorously for a minute or two. Add the vegetable mixture, and mix well. Season to taste with black pepper, and adjust salt, if necessary.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Arrange the tomato "Ds" in a lovely pattern on the top.

6. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes. Cool for at least 20 minutes before remove the sides of the pan. Serve at any temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never had a savory cheesecake but this looks and sounds so yummy! I love vegetarian dishes for weeknights for some reason so this will likely be on the menu soon!

Steph said...

This seems really interesting and fun to make. I think it would be a little too rich for me though. I would have to eat it with tomato sauce and noodles.

saveur said...

I like savoury cheesecakes, too! I've made Heidi's savoury zucchini cheesecake and it tastes good. A bit simpler ingredient list than yours.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/zucchini-ricotta-cheesecake-recipe.html

eatme_delicious said...

saveur: Thanks! That cheesecake looks delicious.. I love the browned top!

Joanne said...

I've actually seen savory cheesecakes making their way around the blogosphere lately and think they all look great! I love the idea of serving this with a tomato sauce...it would definitely cut down on the richness. Fat girl in a skinny body posted a whole slew of varieties recently, you might want to check her out!

L-Burt said...

I ended up buying that cookbook after seeing you mention it and this was one dish I definitely want to try! I'd never heard of a savory cheesecake before but it looks delicious.

MaryMoh said...

New to me but looks healthy and delicious. I like it.

Johanna GGG said...

sounds v good but v intense - I have only had savoury cheesecake once - a friend brought them along as a starter and everyone was full before the main part of the meal - I think a thin slice with a lot of salad sounds good - I have a recipe for a vegan savoury mini cheesecake on my blog but not sure this is what you are after- though I do recommend making them in muffin cups to limit the portions

tanita✿davis said...

Oh, WOW, this looks FABULOUS, thank you for this great dinner suggestion!

Dana said...

You did such a beautiful job with this, I sat straight up in my chair when I saw it. I like serving things like this for dinner parties because they are so pretty but also really filling.

Anonymous said...

I've made this one before too. I liked it but as you commented a tomato sauce would be nice. Served aside a big salad, tis a good meal.

bed frame said...

I wonder how this one tastes like! It looks okay and delicious. So interesting.

Pearl said...

my goodness - that is so thick and gourmet! i think i'd be too nervous to make such a beautiful dish!

and abby's got some pretty cute feet!

Usha said...

I have never heard of a savory cheesecake before this, sounds interesting and inviting !

test it comm said...

Savoury cheesecakes are always a nice change from the sweet ones! It looks great!

Ricki said...

I tried my one and only savory cheesecake at a party years ago--it was made with cream cheese with olives, pimiento, and something smoky inside (maybe smoked salmon?) but baked like a dessert cheesecake, and it was served in very thin slices on crackers, like you'd serve a cheese ball. It was fabulous! I'll see if I can dig up the recipe for you in my files. :)

I think this one would be a perfect accompaniment to pasta, and it did sound like a deconstructed lasagna! It's also beautiful.

Deborah said...

I've never had a savory cheesecake, but you can bet I'll be making one now!!

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

I really like the idea of a savory cheesecake. It'd be hearty enough for my boyfriend and we could eat it for several days.

kimberleyblue said...

Oooh, this is different! I'm sure I could eat it all to myself in a matter of days, it sounds amazing.

That Abby is adorable. I love the positions cats can get themselves in.

Von said...

This is such an interesting idea! I love cheesecakes, so I think this sounds delicious! The first picture makes it look sorta like a quiche, but without the pastry =]