Get a load of these tarts.

I could have eaten this whole Asparagus And Spring Onion Tart all by myself.

Asparagus and onion complement each other so well. Cheese and a creamy custard to bind them in a pastry crust just seals the deal. Really good.

The salad’s title was originally ‘Syrian Salad’, but I didn’t include any chemical weapons in it. Just boatloads of Mediterranean style ingredients. This meat and cheese packed salad would be wonderful stuffed into pita bread for a sandwich, but is also a terrific side dish for this Asparagus Tart.

Asparagus and Spring Onion Tart

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry:

4 ozs (110 g) white flour
2 ozs (55 g) butter
1 egg

Ingredients for filling:

5 ozs (140 g) asparagus, trimmed
½ oz (15 g) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
9 ozs (255 g) green (spring) onion, chopped
4 ozs (110 g) cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs
4 fl ozs (120 ml) cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions for shortcrust pastry:

1. Place the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the egg to bind the pastry. Add a little water if necessary, but do not make the pastry sticky. Chill for 15 minutes.

3. Roll out the pastry to line a 7 inch (18 cm) quiche tin (I only had a 9 inch tin, and that worked fine, just a thinner crust probably.)

4. Line tin with greaseproof (waxed) paper and fill to the top with dried beans. Bake blind for approximately 20 minutes in a 180℃/350℉ oven. Remove the beans, egg wash the base and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes. This seals the pastry and helps avoid the crust from becoming soggy.

Directions for filling:

1. Melt the butter, then add the olive oil and onions. Sweat the onions with a good pinch of salt until soft but not colored.

2. Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water about 4 minutes so it is still firm. Drain then cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces.

3. Whisk the eggs in a bowl; add the cream, most of the cheese, onion and the cooked asparagus. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour into the pastry case, sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.

4. Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

Serves 6

Recipe from The Ballymaloe Cookery School

Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients for salad:

4 cups torn iceberg lettuce
2 cups torn romaine
1-1/2 cups chopped seeded cucumbers
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
2/3 cup chopped red onion
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/3 cup Greek olives, drained
1/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives, drained
4 thin slices hard salami, julienned
4 thin slices prosciutto, julienned
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients for dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the first 13 ingredients. Sprinkle with feta and Parmesan cheeses.

2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.

Serves 8

Recipe from Taste Of Home Magazine

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Cheers!