Farmhouse Asparagus and Feta Tart with Fresh Dill
Whether you’re lacking in inspiration for a mid-week dinner or need a tasty veggie alternative at a summer BBQ - this summery tart is a real winner. Plus, it doubles up as great leftovers for lunch the next day too.
Packed with flavour, dill is a herb that I gravitate towards countlessly over the summer. These little hollow stems are both sharp and sweet, making a great balance with the salty brine of the feta that is saturated throughout. Equally abundant in asparagus, these green additions provide a welcomed crunch against this tart’s silky texture.
Assembling the tart filling is fairly quick, granting you amples of time to work on that pastry case, if you decide to. If you do, while I might be biased, working on this buttery shortcrust is satisfying and certainly worth the wait. Debate around adding extras like milk or egg in a shortcrust are a bit ‘flaky’, I’ve opted not to here. Instead, by adding some finely grated parmesan, this served as a nice way to variate from a traditional shortcrust pastry mix and create a more nuttier flavour. If you decide to and fancy a richer pastry, make sure to slightly increase your water content and add a good quality egg yolk.
TIP: For a smooth tart filling, ensure all the dairy ingredients are at room temperature before assembling.
SWAP OUT: To save time during the week, swap out this homemade pastry with a ready-to-roll store-bought shortcrust.
SERVE WITH: Tarts and quiche are as variable as it gets, so the choice of side dishes are endless! I enjoy mine with a simple mixed greens salad, a light mustard-y vinaigrette, and some roasted new potatoes.
SERVES: 6-8
I N G R E D I E N T S
For the shortcrust pastry:
250g plain flour
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
125g cold butter, cut into 2cm cubes
25g - 50g water
1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
50g parmesan, finely grated
For the filling:
1 tbsp neutral oil, vegetable or sunflower
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 echalion shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g asparagus, cut into 3cm spears
2 tbsp natural yogurt
100ml double cream
280ml crème fraîche
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
20g dill, finely chopped
180g feta, cut into small cubes
For the toppings:
8 stems of asparagus
20g feta, crumbled.
M E T H O D
Begin by pre-heating your oven to 200°C.
S H O R T C R U S T P A S T R Y:
Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Start to add the cold, cubed butter, gently rubbing it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips as you go. It should have a breadcrumb like consistency.
Slowly drizzle in your water, vinegar, and egg yolk. Mix this with a knife steadily until a dough starts to form. Note** you may not need to use all the liquid.
Wrap in clingfilm and keep in the fridge until you need to use it.
Once you’re ready, begin by greasing a deep, fluted, 25cm loose-based tart tin.
Roll out the pastry to slightly bigger than the tin, leaving enough to hang over the edge.
Lay the pastry into the tin and gently press it into the edges and ridges of the tin, you may want to use your fingertips or the back of a fork. Prick the base of the tin a few times over with a fork.
Put a large piece of baking parchment on top of the pastry and then fill it with baking beans.
Blind bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the paper and the beans and bake for 5 minutes more, until golden.
Remove your pastry from the oven, trim away the overhanging edges and set aside to cool.
T H E F I L L I N G:
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180C.
Moving onto the tart filling, begin by placing your neutral oil in a large pan, heating to a medium-high heat. Add your finely chopped onion, sautéing for a couple of minutes. Once translucent and soft, add your shallot, further cooking for 2 minutes. Add your crushed garlic, sautéing for 2 more minutes and fragrant. Ensure to keep an eye on the temperature throughout, to avoid any scorching. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, double cream, crème fraîche, and eggs until well combined and smooth.
Carefully add the onion mixture, cayenne pepper and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix until smooth. Go easy on the salt at this stage, the feta will be quite a salty addition.
Once mixed, add in your dill, cubed feta, and asparagus spears, folding in until everything is combined.
Now the mixture is completed, place the cooled pastry case on a baking tin. Carefully transfer the quiche mixture into the pastry case, being attentive to not overfill the case as it may overflow when cooking. Ensure that all of the mixture is evenly distributed, before topping with your eight asparagus stems and crushed feta.
Place in the oven and bake for around 40-45 minutes. Depending on how deep your tin is, this part may take slightly longer, but don’t fear if your tart has a slight wobble.
Set aside to cool before slicing up and serving!