Quick Spring Tart
A crisp sour cream shortcrust base filled with sautéed spinach, asparagus and a herby egg custard, finished with plenty of melted cheddar - a proper spring lunch with barely any fuss.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: about 40 minutes (includes blind baking)
INGREDIENTS
1 sheet Carême sour cream shortcrust pastry, defrosted
dried chickpeas, for blind baking
1 bunch English spinach, trimmed and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, crushed
extra virgin olive oil
salt
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and chopped
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 cup grated cheddar or tasty cheese
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to serve
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Lightly oil a baking pan just the right size for the pastry sheet, giving a little lip around the edge. Roll out the pastry and press it into the pan.
Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the chickpeas and bake for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, sauté the spinach and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt until just wilted. Set aside to cool.
In a large jug, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, thyme, basil and dill.
Spread the sautéed spinach over the base of the cooled pastry. Scatter over the chopped asparagus, then pour over the egg and herb mixture. Top with the grated cheddar.
Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden, watching the pastry edges and covering them loosely with foil if they start to catch before the filling is done.
Allow to cool slightly before serving with plenty of salt and freshly cracked pepper.
HINTS
Carême sour cream shortcrust holds its shape well for blind baking and doesn't need extra flour when rolling out.
The pastry edges are already baked before the filling goes in, so they're the first thing to catch - have foil ready rather than waiting until they've gone too dark.
Good served warm or at room temperature, so it travels well for a packed lunch.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 320kcal
Protein: 18g
Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 18g
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.