Sun-dried tomato tarts & asparagus
- 2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
- 3 free-range eggs
- ⅓ cup (80ml) pouring cream
- ⅓ cup (25g) finely grated pecorino cheese
- ½ cup (75g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, sliced thinly
- 60g (2 ounces) fetta, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 170g (5½ ounces) asparagus, sliced very thinly lengthways
- 1 tablespoon lemon rind strips (see tips)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 50g (1½ ounces) fetta, extra, crumbled
1 Line the base and side of four 11.5cm (4¾-inch) (top measurement) round, loose-based fluted flan tins with pastry. Trim excess pastry. Freeze for 20 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
3 Place tins on an oven tray. Line pastry cases with baking paper. Fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove beans and paper; bake pastry cases for a further 5 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool for 5 minutes.
4 Reduce oven to 180°C/350°F.
5 Whisk eggs, cream and pecorino in a large jug; season. Pour egg mixture in pastry cases. Top with tomato, fetta and thyme. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.
6 Meanwhile, combine asparagus, rind, juice and oil in a small bowl; season.
7 Serve tarts topped with asparagus and extra fetta; sprinkle with a little more thyme, if you like.
TIPS
If you would like to make your own pastry, use one quantity of the shortcrust pastry for quiche primavera on page 315. Use a mandoline or V-slicer to cut the asparagus into long thin strips. It will be easier to remove the rind from the lemon before you squeeze the juice. To create the thin strips of lemon rind, use a zester if you have one. If you don’t have one, peel two long, wide pieces of rind from the lemon, without the white pith, then cut them lengthways into thin strips.
