Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Asparagus and cheese tart recipe

Asparagus tart. Asparagus quiche.
Originally posted in May 2011, but I'm bumping this up again, as the local asparagus season has began. The photo above was taken by Juta Kübarsepp to illustrate my column in the May 2014 issue of Kodu ja Aed magazine here in Estonia.. 

Isn't it pretty? This lovely topless tart can be served either warm (perhaps with a green side salad) or cold (cut into thin slices to accompany drinks). It's a simple tart - a puff pastry base (I made a quick rough puff pastry myself) is covered with a layer of grated cheese, followed by an egg and cream mixture, and finally topped with lightly cooked asparagus spears. You could certainly mix the cheese in to the egg and cream mixture, but I loved the visual effect of using a separate cheese layer.

Asparagus and cheese tart
(Spargli-juustupirukas)
Serves 8 to 10

Asparagus tart / Sparglipirukas

500 g puff pastry (store-bought or home-made rough puff pastry)

24 medium-sized fresh green asparagus spears
150 g Gouda or Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
3 large eggs
200 ml fresh cream (whipping, heavy or double)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Snap off the hard and woody lower end of the asparagus spears (these can be used to make stock, for instance). Cook the asparagus spears in a simmering and lightly salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse quickly under cold water and drain again. Put aside.
Line a rectangular pie dish (approximately 25x35 cm) with a parchment paper. Roll out a puff pastry so it'd cover the base and come up the sides a little. Prick with a fork here and there.
Scatter the grated cheese over the base.
Whisk the eggs with cream, season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Pour carefully over the cheese.
Place asparagus spears on top.
Bake in a preheated 200 C oven for about 30 minutes, until the tart is nicely golden on top and the puff pastry is cooked.

9 comments:

Sara said...

I blogged on something similar I made recently. I love how easy it is to make something pretty. Just place all the spears nicely in a row and they do all the work on the aesthetics for you. You remind me I need to start using that puff pastry I made and stashed in the freezer. (My butter was getting close to the expiry date, and rather than freeze the butter, I made puff and froze that! So versatile, as you say).

Heidi said...

ooh pretty!

Otehlia said...

These tarts look divine! great way to use the fresh veggies.

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Roxy said...

I used the Gruyere and it was delicious!

Unknown said...

Cheese tart looks delicious. Not really fan of asparagus but might try it though ^_^ Thanks for sharing that wonderful recipe.
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Stephie's Kitchen said...

I've been trying out different ways of using asparagus, this is another great idea.

http://stephieskitchenblog.blogspot.com/

banan said...

Looks really tasty! :)

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