Spring Asparagus Tart

Spring Asparagus Tart

Serves 6

vegan/dairy free/nut free

We eagerly await for May to arrive, as it places fresh asparagus on our menu. Asparagus are a very nutritious vegetable, but also delicious and versatile, offering many options for them to be enjoyed. They can be used in salads, stir-fries, frittatas, risottos, as a main or an accompaniment, or even eaten simply steamed, with a little salt and a squeeze of lemon. Here, we have used them in a delightful spring tart, made with flaky shortcrust pastry, a light creamy filling and more seasonal veggies.

Ingredients

- For the pastry -

400g plain flour

1tsp salt

1tsp sugar

1tsp nutritional yeast (optional)

120g block plant based butter, chilled

120g solid deodorised coconut oil

6-8 tbsp of iced water

- For the filling -

100g plant based butter

80g plain flour

500ml unsweetened soy milk

125ml vegetable broth

50ml plant based cream (we used Oatley)

30g nutritional yeast

1tbsp yellow mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

- For the veggies -

1 punnet of fresh asparagus (about 12 spears)

1 medium shallot, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 a red bell pepper, finely chopped

100g petit pois garden peas, if frozen defrosted

A few cherry tomatoes, finely sliced

3-4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

A little olive oil

Method

To make the pastry, first measure your ingredients and add a few ice cubes in the water to make it very cold.

Add the flour, the salt, the sugar and the nutritional yeast in a food processor.* Pulse briefly. Cut the butter in small squares and add it into the mixture. Spoon in the coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time, so that it’s not in one large chunk. Pulse until the mixture resembles sand. While the processor is running, begin adding the iced water, one tbsp at a time. Once the mixture comes together in a ball, stop adding water. Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a size that’s larger than your selected tart tin.** With the help of your rolling pin, drape the pastry over the tin. Don’t worry at all if your pastry tears or breaks. Using your hands, gently push the pastry into your tin, trimming any excess bits, then smoothing and shaping it as you go. If it is uneven, or has a tear, patch it up using little pieces of dough as required. This doesn’t have to be perfect, so relax and enjoy the process. When you feel happy with it, place the pastry in the fridge to chill and set, while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven at 180C.

For the filling, begin by measuring and chopping all your ingredients. For the asparagus, first snap them and keep the pieces with the tips. Discard the hard ends of the stalks. Keep the tips whole, then slice part of the soft stalks finely.***

Warm the milk and the broth together in a small pan. Set it aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and make a roux, whisking the mixture as it cooks. Gradually pour in the milk and broth mixture, while whisking the whole time. Add the nutritional yeast and mix well. Whisk in the cream and the mustard and remove from the heat. Your mixture should look like a thick béchamel. If it’s too thick, add a little boiled water and whisk. Stir in most of your chopped veggies, apart from the asparagus tips and a few other veggies for decoration.

Remove your pastry from the fridge and pour the filling over it. Smooth it with the back of a spoon and decorate it with the asparagus tips and reserved veggies. Spray the surface and particularly the asparagus with a little olive oil. Bake the tart in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Allow the tart to cool and set, as it will be too soft to cut when it is first out of the oven. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

Notes

*This pastry can be made by hand, if you do not have a food processor. Simply place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and work the butter and coconut oil into the flour mixture with your hands, till you have a sand consistency. Then add the chilled water, but stop as soon as your dough comes together. If you are short for time, you can use store bought vegan shortcrust pastry too. But homemade is definitely worth the effort, as it is so much more delicious.