OATY CHEESE AND ONION CAKE BAKE

I love to make savoury cakes as well as sweet ones! This is just perfect with a salad in summer or for a picnic. The combination of the cheese and onion and fresh herbs along with the toasted oats make this a special cake! I have has this recipe for many years [although I have changed it a bit!] and found it in an old magazine - but as I only have the yellowed clipping, I have no idea from where! It is very easy, so delicious - so enjoy!

Butter and line the base of an 8” cake tin, preheat your fan oven to about 170C.

1 lb of sliced onions. I use a mix of white, red and shallots

scant 2 oz butter and oil

1 crushed clove of garlic - optional

1 teaspoon stock from a concentrated veggie stock pot or an Oxo veggie cube

splash of Worcestershire sauce

8 oz medium porridge oats

6 oz of any good mature cheddar, grated - but if I were you, I would use Davidstow! 

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs. I used parsley, thyme and chives

3 medium eggs, beaten

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

4 oz finely sliced floury potatoes

2-3 medium ripe vine tomatoes

Melt the fats in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for about 15 minutes until soft and just starting to colour. Stir in the veggie stock, then tip this into a mixing bowl. 

Place the oats on a large baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 15 mins. But keep checking after ten, as you do not want them too brown. Cool for a bit.

Then stir the oats into the onion mix along with the grated cheddar, seasoning and fresh chopped herbs of your choice. Mix with the beaten eggs.

In the base of your prepared cake tin, place a neat very thin layer of sliced potatoes, then press over half of the cheese and onion mix, making sure you don’t disturb the potato pattern! Then add a layer of sliced tomatoes followed by the remainder of the onion mix.

Pop the cake into your preheated oven for about half an hour, then invert onto a serving plate and brown the potato under a hot grill. Keep an eye on it!

You can just taste it! So good.