Nothing tempts like a tart. The buttery crumb of the pastry that gives way under your fork, the soft quiver of the filling within, the crumbs you can dab into your mouth with a finger. I make tarts far less than I should considering how much I like them.These two may not be quick, but they are relatively easy: one uses buff leaves of shop-bought filo; the other an easy olive-oil pastry that doesn’t need to rest. Both are filled with the spoils of spring. Tempted?
Roast tomato, asparagus and rosemary tart (pictured above)
A perfect tart to weave together the days of spring and summer. Spears of asparagus, buttery leeks, dijon and an unexpected hit of rosemary. This quick olive-oil pastry is easy enough for a weeknight. I use cherry tomatoes until the season is in full swing. You’ll need a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 6
For the pastry
200g wholemeal or light spelt flour
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated
1 pinch salt
50ml olive oil
Cold water
For the filling
400g cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, finely sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
450g asparagus
3 eggs
3 tbsp creme fraiche
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated
1 tsp dijon mustard
Heat the oven to 120C/250F/gas ¼. Lay the tomatoes cut side up on a baking tray, season, drizzle with olive oil, then slowly roast for about an hour, until soft, sweet and gummy. Take a handful out for the dressing, and set aside. Once the tomatoes are roasted, take them out of the oven and turn the heat up temperature to 180C/350F/gas 4.
Next make the pastry. Put the flour, rosemary, lemon zest and salt into a food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the olive oil and pulse again until you have crumbs. Add about 75ml of cold water until it comes together in a ball. (If you don’t have a food processor you can do this just as easily by hand.)
On a floured work surface, roll it out to just bigger than the tart tin, then carefully wrap it around your rolling pin and lower it into the tin. Gently press it in, so the pastry takes the shape of the tin. Prick with a fork and blind bake for 12 minutes (no need to use baking beans for with this pastry).
Saute the leek in a little oil for 20 minutes until soft and sweet, add the rosemary and cook for a minute. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Snap the asparagus spears spears near the base – they will naturally break off where the fibrous part ends. Boil the asparagus for two to three minutes, until the spears are still firm but not crunchy. Drain, season at once and drizzle with oil.
Mix the eggs with the creme fraiche, sauteed leeks, zest and dijon, then season. Once the pastry is ready, scatter with the asparagus, then pour over the creme fraiche mixture and scatter with the tomatoes.
Bake the tart on the bottom of the oven at 200C/390F/gas 6 for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the eggs just set. Serve with a sharply dressed green salad.
Easy pea, mint and preserved lemon filo tart
This tart is incidentally vegan, provided you use vegan filo, which happens to be the most common.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 6
500g fresh or frozen peas
Olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
Salt and black pepper
1 x 400g tin white beans, drained
1 preserved lemon, flesh removed, rind finely chopped
1 handful green olives, stoned and roughly chopped
1 good pinch chilli flakes
1 small bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped
1 small bunch parsley, picked and roughly chopped
1 × 200g pack filo pastry
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Boil the peas in well-salted water for three to four minutes, then drain and put to one side.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy, cast-iron frying pan of about 26cm (you will use this for your tart) and saute the spring onions with a good pinch of salt until soft.
Put the beans and half the peas into a food processor and pulse a few times until you have a textured bean and pea mash. Tip into a bowl and add the rest of the peas, the preserved lemon, olives, chilli, mint and parsley, then season well and mix.
Unwrap the sheets of filo and lay them over your frying pan, leaving a little overlap round the edges (you’ll fold this in later). Drizzle with oil, then keep layering the filo and drizzling with oil until you have a good, sturdy, three- to four-sheet layer all over – you may need to patch it together bit by bit if you have small sheets.
Drizzle the whole lot with a bit more olive oil, then use a pastry brush to persuade the oil all over the pastry. Spoon the filling into the middle, spread it evenly across the base, put the pan over a medium heat and cook for three to four minutes to crisp up the pastry from the bottom.
Fold the excess filo back over the filling to form a wavy edge. Put on the bottom of the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Check halfway through and rotate the pan to ensure the pastry cooks evenly.
Food styling: Anna Jones. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food assistant: Nena Foster
