Spring Tart With Asparagus Food

SAVORY SPRING VEGETABLE AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface to a 12" round. Transfer to tart pan and press onto bottom and up sides. Bake crust according to package instructions. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut off top 1 1/2" of asparagus tips; reserve. Slice stalks into 1/4" rounds. Cut white bulbs from spring onions; trim and quarter (halve if using scallions). Slice pale-green parts into 1/4" pieces. Toss asparagus tips and spring onion bulbs in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on prepared sheet; roast, turning once, until onions begin to brown and asparagus is bright green and tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced asparagus and pale-green parts of spring onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and asparagus is bright green and tender, 6-8 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan. Spread evenly over bottom of tart crust.
• Whisk cheese and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in eggs. Pour over vegetables. Scatter asparagus tips and spring onion bulbs over.
• Bake tart until edges of crust are golden brown and filling is set, 20-22 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Remove sides of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

SPRING ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes; cover and keep warm. , Place vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika in a blender; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Toss with asparagus mixture. Top with almonds and, if desired, cheese.

ASPARAGUS TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F Line 2 large baking hseets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In large bowl toss asparagus with 1 Tbsp oil, the herbes, salt and pepper. set aside.
• Heat remaining Tbsp oil in skillet and saute onions over med-low heat until browned and very tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• On a lighlty floured surface, roll out one sheet of puff pastry to form a 10x15 inch rectangle. Trim a 3-inch wide strip off the bottom side and the right side, (and save pastry strips) to form a 7x12 inch rectangle. Then cut that rectangle into 3 even 4x7 inch pieces.
• Brush a 1/2 inch border around the edge of each rectangle with egg. Cut the trimmed strips into 6 1/2-inch pices and use them to form a crust around the edge. Repeat the process with the second sheet so that you have 6 rectangular crusts.
• Divide up the onions down the center of each pastry.Neatly arrange the asparagus stalks on each pastry, on top of the onions, tips all facing the same direction.
• Bake at 375 F until the pastry is puffed and golden. brown, 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and top with shaved gruyere and fresh ground pepper if desired.

SPRING TARTS WITH WATERCRESS SALSA VERDE & WHIPPED LEMON FETA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry but leave it on the parchment, then transfer it to a baking tray. Brush egg yolk all over. Trim the edges with a large, sharp knife - this will give you a neater finish but isn't essential. Cut the pastry in half lengthways, and move the pieces apart so they have a little space to puff up as they cook. Score a border about 1cm from the edge of the pastry, all the way around, then cut slashes across the centre to prevent it from puffing too much. Be careful not to score the border.
• Toss the carrots and radishes in a little oil and a sprinkling of salt in a small roasting tin. Put the pastry on the top shelf of the oven and the veg on the middle one, and cook for 25 mins, or until the pastry is golden and has a crisp base, and the veg are starting to soften. Leave to cool while you make the lemony feta.
• Crumble the feta into a bowl, add the mascarpone, lemon zest and milk and blend using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Chill until needed. To make the salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a small hand processor and whizz to a pesto consistency. This will keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil, and have a bowl to hand filled with cold water and some ice. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 mins until bright green but still crunchy. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out and plunge straight into the iced water. Do the same with the sugar snaps, and finally the peas, draining these in a sieve, then cool in the ice water with the other veg.
• Spread the whipped feta over the bases, top with the veg (you can mix them up or keep the roasted veg on one tart and the green veg on the other, if you like), then drizzle with salsa verde and a little oil. Best served within an hour or two, but leftovers will keep for a day in the fridge.

SPRING VEGETABLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place 1 round of frozen puff pastry, parchment-side down, on a baking sheet.
• Remove 1 piece of parchment from the other puff pastry round. Place a plate upside-down onto the pastry. Run a knife along the rim to cut a border out of the circle.
• Beat egg and water together; brush over the puff pastry on the baking sheet. Carefully remove the outer ring from the other round and line it over the edges of the brushed pastry. Brush more egg wash over the border. Prick bottom crust with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Immediately press the bottom of a fork onto the bottom crust to flatten it.
• Combine goat cheese, salt, pepper, cayenne, dill, parsley, and lemon thyme in a bowl. Pour in the rest of the egg wash and cream. Mix until smooth. Spoon filling onto the center of the crust and spread it out toward the border.
• Continue baking until cheese filling is set and crust is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Let tart cool while preparing the topping.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Boil Romanesco, asparagus, carrots, and snap peas, uncovered, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in the ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Toss mixed greens with a little olive oil; place on top of the tart.
• Toss blanched vegetables with salt, remaining olive oil, and lemon juice. Arrange on top of the mixed greens. Tuck radishes and tomatoes into the mixture. Peel away half of each snap pea pod to expose the peas inside; arrange over the tart. Tuck in dill fronds and drizzle some more olive oil on top.

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.

DOUBLE CHEESE & SPRING VEGETABLE TART

Steps:

• Roll the pastry out into a rectangle on a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Scatter over the cheese, fold the pastry in half and roll out again into a circle that fits a 25cm tart tin with an overhang. Chill for 20 mins. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling water for 3 mins, then drain and refresh under cold water. Cook the fresh peas the same way for a minute, or simply defrost the frozen peas.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the base of the tart well with a fork, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake the tart for 30 mins, remove the parchment and beans, prick again if it has puffed up, then bake for another 10-15 mins until biscuit brown.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, add the crème fraîche and cream, season and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Scatter the peas and most of the watercress over the tart and crumble over half the goat's cheese. Pour over the creamy egg mixture, then lay the asparagus spears on top. Finally, slice the remaining goat's cheese and arrange on top, then bake for 25-30 mins until the custard is just set and the cheese is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin, trim the edges of the pastry, then remove from the tin, scatter with the remaining watercress and serve cut into slices. Can be made up to a day ahead, leave out the fridge to keep the pastry crisp.

ASPARAGUS, BACON & SHALLOT TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to an 11-in. tart pan and press into edges. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Prick crust with a fork 5 or 6 times; line with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is light golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is light golden brown, 4-5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 375°., Trim tough ends from asparagus. Reserve 8 spears; cut remaining asparagus into 1/2-in. pieces., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6-8 minutes; remove and drain. Add olive oil to skillet, then red onion, shallot and chopped asparagus; cook and stir until softened, 6-8 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Return bacon to pan; stir in tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Spoon into crust., Whisk eggs and cream; stir in cheddar cheese until blended. Pour over top. Arrange reserved asparagus spears in a spoke pattern with tips facing outward. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

EASY ASPARAGUS TART WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven and thaw the pastry: Place a cookie sheet on a rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 400˚F or according to puff pastry package instructions. Remove puff pastry from freezer and let stand at room temperature while you make the filling.
• Bake: Remove the hot cookie sheet from the oven and add the parchment with the tart; return the cookie sheet to the oven. Bake the tart until golden brown and flaky, 30 to 35 minutes.

SPRING ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the puff pastry to a 9- by 12-inch even rectangle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Combine the mascarpone, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, the flour, egg and lemon zest, and then fold in the chives and tarragon. Spread over the puff pastry, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Make small cuts around the border about 1 inch apart with the tip of a paring knife.
• Toss the asparagus with the olive oil in a bowl. Lay half of the asparagus in a neat row across the surface of the tart so the tips meet the edge. Do the same in the opposite direction with the remaining asparagus. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bake until the border of the tart is deep golden and puffed and the top is lightly spotted golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.
• Serve with lightly dressed greens.

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.