Spinach, Leek and Feta Puff Pastry Tart Recipe

Earlier this week I made some asparagus and parmesan tarts (find the recipe here: http://foodloverlondon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/british-asparagus-season-asparagus.html) and today I decided to use up the other half of my ready-rolled puff pastry to make another tart for my lunch - a spinach, leek and feta tart. Instead of following a recipe for this one, I used a bit of improvisation and (in my opinion!) the end result was actually very nice. I was a bit pressed for time, so instead of doing 2 separate tarts I made one big one with the remaining pastry and then cut it in half to share with my brother who is currently visiting. He's a bit of a fuss-pot with his veggies, so was surprised that he seemed so keen to try it, and he seemed to enjoy it as much as I did - shocker!

Recipe - Spinach, Leek and Feta Tarts
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Olive oil 

150g frozen spinach

1 leek, thinly chopped

1 egg

Half a pack of ready-rolled puff pastry (I used half a pack of Sainsbury's 375g puff pastry)

60g feta, cut into cubes

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Place the puff pastry onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Score a line into the pastry to make a thin border around the outside. 
• Defrost the spinach and drain away any excess water. 
• Pour a couple of glugs of olive oil into a non-stick frying pan. Add the leeks and spinach and cook on a medium heat until softened.
  
• Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the beaten egg.
• Pour the mixture onto the pastry and spread within the borders made previously.
• Sprinkle over the cubes of feta.
  
• Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and is golden brown.
• The finished result...
  

I then cut this in half and shared it with my brother, with a bit of extra salad on the side.

Lisa x

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British Asparagus Season - Asparagus & Parmesan Tarts Recipe

It's currently the British asparagus season so I've been trying to make the most of it! I was first inspired whilst reading my April/May 2013 copy of 'Jamie' Magazine, which had a picture of a very tasty looking asparagus tart on the front and a feature called 'Spear of the Moment'.

One of the recipes was for a Asparagus and Pecorino tart which reminded me of a recipe I've had saved in my 'online recipe binder' on the BBC Good Food website for quite a long time - 'Asparagus and Parmesan Pastries'. I really fancied an asparagus tart for my lunch today, so decided to try this recipe over the Jamie Oliver one as I had all the ingredients needed already in my kitchen and it also looked a little more speedy & simple to make (I wasn't feeling particularly energetic this morning!)

I only needed to feed two people, so halved the recipe and it turned out well - they didn't take too long to prepare, and they were very straightforward to make. I'll definately be making them again.

Recipe: Asparagus and Parmesan Tarts
To serve 2

Ingredients:

3 tbsp mascarpone
20g Parmesan, grated
a handful of finely chopped basil (I just roughly tore mine into small bits)
zest of ½ a small lemon
half a pack of ready-rolled puff pastry (I used Sainsbury's own 375g pack)
asparagus spears (I used 6 spears per tart)
½ tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Heat the oven to 200°C. 
• Mix the mascarpone and the grated parmesan, basil, lemon zest and season.
• Cut the ready-rolled puff pastry in half to form the base of two tarts. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. 
  
• Score around the edges of each tart to make a thin border, then spread the mascarpone mixture within these borders.
  
• Wash and trim the asparagus to the right length for each tart. Toss the spears in oil, then arrange on top of the puff pastry.
  
• Bake the pastries for 20-25 minutes until golden.
  
• Serve with salad if desired.

I adapted the original recipe to make 2 tarts - the recipe to serve 4 people can be found on the BBC Good Food website here:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6671/asparagus-and-parmesan-pastries 

I recommend giving this recipe a try whilst British asparagus is still in season - until mid-June.

Lisa x
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