How it feels to cook with love.

The best pastry ever, or ready rolled, not one but two seasonal spring and summer tarts.

On making pastry with Mrs Johnson, my Home Economics teacher.

Mrs Johnson’s hands would work magic as she passionately spoke about how it felt to cook. To feel the passion in our hands, she would say, as well as show us how, in our practical lessons. I was enchanted. To me it was an orchestra and alchemy of science, poetry, flavours and sensual performance of a creative process I could get lost in – hands, fingers, mind, mouth, taste buds working in perfect symmetry, building to a crescendo with a finished dish. I was connected, I was addicted and found my true calling with the love of food.

And this is the essence of how I cook today.   

So, let’s take a pastry lesson and bring it up to date with a fabulous, seasonal, summer vegetable tart. Works perfectly with asparagus, when in season.

We can all buy ready-made pastry. But when I have time, I love the process of making pastry. The sensory feel of the flour, undulating under my fingertips, like little hands in the sand on a sunny beach. Cold, cubed, salted butter, acquiescing under the pressure of the ‘rubbing in’ method, soft grains combing to make the rubble-like breadcrumb texture before the liquid is added. This can be as simple as iced water, or add an egg for golden richness, cheese for a savoury umami; fresh, earthy, matt aromatic herbs – parsley and thyme or the pungent, aniseed perfume of tarragon; sweetness of sugar to add a deft delight to a tart, citrus-sharp lemon torte. Pastry, the queen of crusts, to house a myriad of flavour combinations – surely the epitome of the cooking lesson. Always had to be chilled, before ready for rolling. Sprinkle flour like confetti, a firm smooth rolling pin, to lengthen and flatten, to line the fluted tin, tucking in the corners, knuckles and finger tips working in unison, cracks and gaps filled with the overlaps. Base pricked, baked rice filled parchment prepares for the blind bake, to part cook, to part dry, to become a glorious crown.

Asparagus, feta and dill tart

This looks amazing and tastes delicious. Do try it while asparagus is in season.

You will need

• ½ tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves crushed

• 500g asparagus (about two bunches), woody stalks removed

• 100ml double cream

• 300ml crème fraiche

• 1 tbsp natural yogurt

• 3 eggs

• ¼ tsp white pepper

• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

• small handful of dill

• 200g feta cut into 1cm cubes

For the pastry

• 250g plain flour plus extra for dusting

• 50g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated

• 130g cold salted butter cut into cubes

Method
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 5 mins more until the onion is soft but not golden. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 3 mins. Drain, then plunge into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again. Set eight spears aside, then chop the rest into 3cm lengths.

For the pastry, combine the flour and cheese in a bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1 tbsp cold water at a time until the mixture comes together into a dough – you may need 3-6 tbsp water. Wrap and chill in the freezer for 5 mins to firm up slightly.

Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it’s large enough to line a deep 23cm flan tin with a slight overlap. Using the rolling pin to help you, unravel the pastry over the tin and gently push the pastry into the edge. Trim the overhanging pastry so it comes up 2cm past the rim of the tin. Gently prick the pastry base all over using a fork, then return to the freezer to chill for 15 mins. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Scrunch up a square of baking parchment, then use it to line the chilled pastry case. Fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the baking beans and parchment and bake for 5 mins more. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, combine the cream, crème fraîche, yogurt and eggs in a bowl, but don’t stir too hard – avoid creating bubbles. Stir in the fried onion mixture, the pepper and paprika, then fold in the dill, most of the feta and the cooked asparagus.

Put the pastry case on a baking tray. Pour in the filling, ensuring the feta and chopped asparagus are evenly distributed, then add the whole asparagus spears and remaining feta.

Put in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 35-40 mins until set with a slight wobble in the middle. Leave to cool before slicing.

Leeks, frozen peas and spinach make a budget-friendly option.

Spring Greens Tart

Ingredients

• plain flour for dusting

• 350g pastry, you can use puff or shortcrust, either a block or pre-rolled

• ½ tsp butter

• 1 large or 2 small leeks cut into ½ cm rounds

• 125ml double cream or vegan alternative 

• 1 large egg

• 150g frozen spinach, defrosted or fresh, steamed

• 200g frozen peas

• Ball of mozzarella- torn into small pieces 

• Handful fresh mint, chopped

• Grating fresh nutmeg

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Lightly dust a surface with flour, then roll out the pastry into a circle. Use to line a 22cm tart tin (3cm deep) with a removable base. Trim away any excess pastry that hangs over the top and chill while you make the filling.

• Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the leek in a single layer and fry for a minute, then add 50 ml water and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 4 mins (check it doesn’t dry out). I cook the peas separately, then toss with butter, season well with salt and pepper, and freshly torn mint. Makes all the difference.

  

  Whisk the cream and egg together, then mix in the spinach and peas.

Tip the pea mixture into the base of the tart and arrange the leeks on top. (If you don’t want the leeks on top, then stir them through the pea mixture.) Break the mozzarella pearls in half and dot them over the tart. Put the tart on the baking sheet and bake for 30 mins, or until the filling is cooked through. Leave to rest for 5 mins before cutting.