Up your picnic game with this delicious cheese and asparagus tart, with creamy and distinctly sharp cheese and a perfectly crunchy asparagus.
Puff pastry and vegetables are divine combination! For even more evidence, try Puff Pastry Tomato Tart with Goat’s Cheese!
Real summer, REAL SUMMER is here! I am sorry, guy, I am so excited I am shouting. Last few days were quite the scorchers and we loved them all!
On days like this, I want sunshine, beautiful music and a picnic. And what to serve? How about this gorgeous asparagus and cheese tart?
A tart is underrated as a lunch option. They are easy to make, satisfying to eat, and are great showcases for fresh vegetables. Plus they transport fairly well and can be eaten hot or cold, so perfect for lunches.
I’m a fan of serving a tart like this one with a tasty salad for a light but satisfying lunch. Let me show you how to make it!
Choosing the right cheese
For this tart, I found a local raw ewes milk cheese. That might be a bit obscure, but not to worry. A tart like this can work with all sorts of cheese!
The trick is to use a sharp cheese. A classic choice would be an aged cheddar, but vintage gouda would also be amazing.
I find that when using a really good ingredient like a nice cheese, it is best to go with a simple recipe using minimal ingredients. That way the beautiful flavour gets the chance to shine.
Cheese tart recipe
For this recipe, I kept the ingredient list as short as I could so it is easy to make and lets each individual ingredient shine through. All we have here is pastry, eggs, cream, asparagus and cheese with a touch of nutmeg.
I was a little worried when I first tested the recipe because I thought it would be too simple. But trust your ingredients! If what you use is of the best quality it will surely show as it is the case with this tart!
The very first bite revealed a beautifully creamy and distinctly sharp and salty flavour of the cheese and a perfectly crunchy asparagus. This recipe is so easy and very straightforward, especially if you decide to go with an already-made pastry.
Just imagine showing up with this tart instead of the usual sandwiches for your next picnic. A sure win!
More lunch recipes
- Grilled Halloumi Burger with Garlic Red Pepper Aioli
- Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Savoury Galette with Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Peppers
Asparagus and Cheese Tart
A tasty tart with creamy cheese and fresh asparagus.
Ingredients
- 300 g/ 10 oz pre-made shortcrust pastry or your own recipe
- 3 eggs large
- 200 ml/ ¾ cup double cream/whipping cream
- 150 g/ 5 oz sharp cheese grated
- ¼ nutmeg
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz asparagus
Instructions
- On a floured surface roll out pastry to fit an 9" tart case. Drape the pastry on your rolling pin and carefully transfer it into the tart case, trim the edges. Put in the fridge to chill for at lease 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line the chilled pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or any dry beans or rice for blind baking. This step is crucial to ensure your pastry does not shrink. Pre-baking also helps preventing a "soggy bottom" in a tart. Bake it blind for 20 minutes.
- While the tart is baking, in a medium bowl mix eggs and double cream, add a dash of nutmeg.
- Take the tart shell out of the oven and remove the parchment paper with the baking beans. Sprinkle the bottom of the tart shell with grated cheese, then carefully pour in the egg and cream filling. Arrange uncooked asparagus on top of the tart.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. The filling will puff up and then will settle once it's cooled. Cool on a wire rack in a tart case for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the tart from the case and continue cooling.
Notes
This recipe uses no salt as the cheese is salty enough. If your cheese is not very salty, add salt to taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 10g
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