Asparagus Tart Food

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ASPARAGUS TART WITH PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Thaw frozen puff pastry at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour a surface and roll pastry into a 10x16-inch rectangle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Top with Swiss cheese, prosciutto, and asparagus tips, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the outside edge of the pastry sheet. Drizzle with oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is puffed and golden brown and asparagus is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• Blanch asparagus (just till it turns bright green) and chill in ice water.
• Unroll thawed puff pastry sheet on baking sheet.
• Brush with mustard, leave a 1" border.
• Lay asparagus spears on pastry, alternate ends so each cut will get tips as well as the stem.
• Sprinkle with cheese & pepper.
• Beat 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of milk, brush border with the egg wash.
• Bake at 450 for about 15 - 20 minutes, till puffed & pastry is browned.
• Cut down the middle through the asparagus spears, then across to make 8 or 10 pieces.

ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Cut 2 in. from the top of each asparagus spear; set tops aside. Cut stem ends into 3/4-in. pieces. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the 3/4-in. asparagus pieces; cover and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 13-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Place the blanched asparagus, 1/3 cup cheese and parsley in crust. , In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt, cayenne and nutmeg; pour into crust. Arrange asparagus tops over egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. , Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

ASPARAGUS CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with egg and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) just until a dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Make filling while pastry chills:
• Wash leek in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leek and pat dry.
• Cook asparagus in a wide 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Cut off and reserve tips (leave more stalk if asparagus is thin), then thinly slice stalks crosswise.
• Heat butter in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook leek with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in sliced asparagus and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove from heat.
• Finish filling and assemble and bake tart:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put flan ring in center of baking sheet. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit dough inside flan ring, pressing dough against bottom edge and side of ring. Run rolling pin over top edge of ring to cut off excess dough.
• Whisk together cream, 2 eggs, tarragon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Lightly beat remaining egg with water in a small bowl and brush tart shell all over with some egg wash. Spoon asparagus mixture into shell, spreading evenly, then pour cream mixture over asparagus.
• Bake tart until filling is just beginning to set but still loose on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter asparagus tips over top, pressing lightly if necessary to help them settle into filling, then continue to bake until custard is golden and just set but still slightly wobbly in center, about 30 minutes more (custard will continue to set as it cools).
• Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack until warm, about 30 minutes. Loosen edge with a small sharp knife, then lift off flan ring. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
• *Available at cookware stores and Bridge Kitchenware (212-688-4220; bridgekitchenware.com).

ASPARAGUS & CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheddar into the pastry and mix. Add 3 tbsp cold water and mix until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 5 mins. Butter a 20 x 6cm deep loose-bottom tart tin, or a 35 x 12cm rectangular tart tin.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, roll out the pastry and line the tin. Chill in the freezer for 20 mins, then line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with beans and cook for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then return the pastry case to the oven for 10 mins.
• Crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, then add the milk and whisk again. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the pastry case, then add the asparagus, egg mix and remaining cheese (if using a rectangular tin, you may not need all the mixture, so add it gradually). Bake in the lower half of the oven for 30-35 mins or until the egg mix is set.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

FONTINA ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, bring 1 in. of water to a boil; add asparagus. Cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain and pat dry., On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry sheet into a 16x12-in. rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes., Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups cheese over pastry to within 1/2-in. of edges. Place asparagus over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Mix remaining ingredients; drizzle over top. Bake until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

ASPARAGUS AND GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• Roll out the puff pastry sheet to a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Score a line around the puff pastry 1 inch from the edge. Brush the mustard around the inside of the cut. Sprinkle the cheese over the mustard. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the outside inch of the pastry with the oil. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until the asparagus is tender and the pastry is golden brown, about 15-25 minutes.

ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Open crust on work surface. Press out any cracks. Rub with flour. Arrange dough, flour side down, in 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough into pan.
• Fold excess dough border over to form double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Cook asparagus in pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well. Place on paper towels. Mix half and half, eggs, cheese, tarragon and salt in bowl. Season with pepper. Arrange asparagus in spoke-of-wheel fashion in crust, tips toward edge and ends meeting in center. Pour custard over. Bake until tart puffs and top browns, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly.

ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out pastry, line tart pan with the pastry and cover the pastry with foil. Weigh down with dry beans or pastry weights. Place in the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the pastry looks dry. Remove foil and weights and continue baking until the pastry is golden, about 15 minutes longer. Remove pastry from the oven and increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Melt butter in a skillet, add the onions and saute slowly until they are transluscent and tender. Snap the ends off the asparagus and peel them about half way up from the bottom. Cut the asparagus into half-inch-thick slices on a sharp slant. You should have about one cup of cut asparagus. Add to the skillet with the onions, toss in the butter and add the chives. Season with salt and pepper.
• Scatter the asparagus mixture in the baked pastry shell. Whisk the eggs and half and half together and pour into the shell. Sprinkle with the cheese. Place in the oven and bake until set and golden brown, about 40 minutes.