Julius Roberts is a chef known for his farm-to-table lifestyle, which he shares through his popular TikTok videos. His earthy, rustic content, filled with fresh produce straight from his greenhouse has captivated a wide audience online, but how useful are his recipes for students cooking in a university kitchen with basic ingredients?
To answer this question, I put his courgette, ricotta, and basil tart recipe to the test! Listed below are the ingredients that you will need for this recipe:
5 Darts yellow & green courgettes
1 sheet of puff pastry
250g ricotta
A handful of fresh basil
Quality olive oil
20g Parmesan
1 garlic bulb
1 egg
1 unwaxed lemon
Final result:
The recipe definitely lived up to its promise of delicious, fresh flavours. It also proved to be a practical choice for busy student life, keeping fresh for several days. Perfect for quick, satisfying packed lunches!
While the initial cost of buying all the ingredients might be a bit steep, the investment pays off in the long run. The tart’s generous yield means it goes a long way, and once you have staples like parmesan in your fridge (an ingredient that lasts and boosts a variety of dishes) the cost becomes more justifiable. This versatile recipe lets you swap courgettes for any leftover ingredients, even those past their sell-by date and stuck at the bottom of a student fridge!
Despite the mouth-watering taste, I couldn’t quite capture the same aesthetic charm that Julius does on Tiktok, and mine lacked that picture-perfect finish. The vibrant, farm-fresh appeal of his presentations was hard to replicate in a basic kitchen setup. But, nothing that a glug of olive oil, blob of pesto or strewn basil leaves can’t fix!
Photograph provided by Eva Harte