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Savoury Cheesecake

A filling dish, which I make in a 28cm flan dish, serving 6-8 people:

• 250g packet of bran/wholemeal biscuits, Fox’s are best, Digestive work too
• 200g butter, melted
• 25g sesame seeds
• 1tsp kalongi (black onion) seeds (optional)
• 600g assorted broad beans/French beans/peas/mushrooms/asparagus (use any mixture that suits your tastes, or is in season)
• 300g cream cheese
• 300ml (half-fat) creme fraiche
• 4 eggs
• 140g cheddar or other hard cheese
• Few basil sprigs, shredded

Whizz the biscuits in a food processor to fine crumbs, mix into the butter with the seeds and spoon into the flan dish. Press down into the dish and chill. Meanwhile blanch the beans and peas/asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling water, drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well. Beat the cream cheese, creme fraiche and eggs to a smooth mixture, season with salt and pepper and mix in the basil and cheddar. Put all the vegetables onto the flan base, pour on the cheese mixture and bake at 180C for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until set and golden on top. Serve warm or cold with salad.

You could make this dish more substantial by adding a few cooked prawns.