Baked Yoghurt Tart with Roasted Rhubarb

November 16th, 2024

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It is always a delight to cook with the rouge hues again. The season’s first berries have begun, and plump pink stalks of rhubarb are beckoning me at the market stalls. A reminder to visit my sister, who has the most fabulous rhubarb in the garden (pictured below). I am informed it receives very little intervention so I can’t offer guidance for rhubarb success. However, I can share some ideas for its use. 

Rhubarb is a statement plant with their big green leaves and deep crimson stalks. I always pick a little extra than needed, chop them up and store it raw in a freezer bag to later stew with a little sugar and serve with custard. Rhubarb also makes a fabulous summer drink called ‘shrub’. A sweet vinegar cordial that I promise is much better than it sounds. A great option for non-drinkers. Link to the recipe below. 

More Rhubarb recipes on Homegrown Kitchen

• Rhubarb & Raspberry Shrub – In this drink, raspberries bring a delightful floral note with the unique astringency of rhubarb. Shrub is a vinegar-based cordial and a wonderful thirst quencher on a hot summer day, or used as a mixer in cocktails.
• Summer Fruit Almond Cake with Rhubarb & Strawberry – This is a moist-crumb, fruit-heavy cake. The base recipe can be used with any spring-into-summer fruit selection – peach and blueberry, nectarine and raspberry, plum and blackberry…
• Roasted Rhubarb, Strawberry & Rose Conserve – The roasting of the fruit is the key to this low-sugar jam, intensifying the flavour and evaporating excess moisture from the fruit.
• Rhubarb & Pear Afternoon Tea Loaf – This moist tea loaf is studded with pops of sour rhubarb, balanced with sweet chunks of pear. To add extra goodness I have used a ground seed mix in the loaf (or use desiccated coconut).

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First up, simple roasted rhubarb to serve with the yoghurt tart (recipe below), or on its own with muesli or custard.

Orange-Kissed Roasted Rhubarb

Roasting rhubarb is one of my favourite cooking methods for preparing these tart stalks. The dry heat concentrates the flavours with the added bonus that less sugar can be used compared to stewed rhubarb. I rarely add a sweetener when cooking fruit (unless I am making jam), but let’s face it, rhubarb is so teeth-tingling tart it needs sweetness for balance.

Servings 500 grams

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• about 600g rhubarb stalks
• juice from 1 orange, about 4tbsp, strained
• 3-4 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
• Cut the rhubarb stalks into 8cm lengths and place them in a roasting tray. Add the orange juice and 3 tbsp of the sugar and toss to combine. Arrange the rhubarb in a single layer in the tray then sprinkle with the remaining tbsp of sugar.
• Roast for 15 minutes until the rhubarb is tender. Leave to cool in the tray then transfer to a container and store in the fridge. Consume within 5 days.

Baked Yoghurt Tart with Toasted Muesli Base

This yoghurt tart is a lighter take on baked cheesecake. Ricotta could also be used although I find yoghurt is more economical for the quantity required, especially if using homemade yoghurt. I used unsweetened yoghurt but if you only have sweetened on hand then halve the quantity of sugar used in the custard.

Servings 10 serves

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

Muesli Base

• 50 g butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 3/4 cups (about 200g) toasted muesli* - I used homemade muesli containing oats, coconut, seeds and nuts
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of salt

Yoghurt Custard

• 500 g thick Greek-style unsweetened yoghurt
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of one orange
• *If toasted muesli is not available use 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, and 1/4 cup sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Grease a 25cm glass or ceramic tart dish.
• Prepare the base. Place the butter and honey into a saucepan and gently melt together. Remove from the heat.
• Place the toasted muesli, ground ginger and salt into a food processor and process until roughly ground. Add the melted butter and honey and pulse until combined.
• Tip the base mixture into the prepared tart dish and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to evenly press into the base and 3cm up the sides of the dish. Smooth off the edge so it is an even height around the dish.
• Bake for 10 minutes to pre-cook the base - this step can be skipped but it does make for a crispier base.
• Wipe out the food processor bowl and reuse it to blend the yoghurt, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and orange zest. Blend until smooth, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved.
• Pour the yogurt custard over the hot pre-cooked base. Bake for 35-40 minutes until just set - a little wobble is OK as the custard will set as it cools.
• Once the tart is cool place in the fridge to chill. Serve wedges of the tart with roasted rhubarb (or other stewed or fresh fruit) on the side. Keep in the fridge and consume within 3 days.

Notes

*Some may recognise this recipe as the cover star from my 2022 recipe calendar. Possibly one of my favourite covers so far and an equally popular recipe so sharing it on the web for all to enjoy. Find more details about my 2025 calendar here.