This simple Scandinavian recipe – from Peter’s Yard and Signe Johansen’s new cookbook, Smörgåsbord – is a delicious veggie alternative to the usual barbecue fare. The perfect crowdpleaser for a garden get-together
IMAGE: ALI ALLEN
Wonderful as a vegetarian centrepiece for a springtime smörgåsbord, or as an accompaniment to fish and meat dishes, this puff pastry tart using seasonal baby veg tastes as delicious as it looks.
Spring Vegetable Tart with Mustard Cream and Watercress
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 320 g (11oz) pack ready-rolled puff pastry
- 4 eggs 3 whole and 1 yolk
- 100 g (3½oz) asparagus tips cut into 2cm (¾ inch) batons
- 6 baby courgettes halved lengthways
- 3 baby aubergines quartered lengthways
- 3 baby leeks sliced into rounds about 2cm (¾ inch) thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 g (3½oz) crème fraîche
- 150 g (5½oz) soft goat’s cheese crumbled
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- small bunch of dill finely chopped
- 2 tarragon sprigs leaves stripped and finely chopped
- 2 large handfuls of watercress to serve
For the dressing
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Unroll the pastry onto a large baking tray lined with baking parchment and lightly score a 1cm (½ inch) border all the way around. Beat the egg yolk and brush it over the border to glaze. Toss the prepared vegetables with the oil and spread out on a second tray. Place both in the oven, with the vegetables on the top shelf, for 20 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and the veg is just tender. Press down the centre of the pastry with the back of a spoon.
- In a bowl, mix the 3 eggs with the crème fraîche, goat’s cheese, mustard, the herbs and some salt and pepper. Spread over the tart base, avoiding the border. Arrange the veg on top then return to the oven for about 20 minutes until the filling has set.
- Make a dressing by whisking together the oil, mustard, vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Remove the tart from the oven and cool a little before scattering over the watercress and drizzling with the dressing.
Recipe taken from Smörgåsbord: Deliciously Simple Modern Scandinavian Recipes by Peter’s Yard with Signe Johansen is published by Kyle Books, RRP £18.99.
*The Home Page makes a small commission for purchases made through this link
Share this recipe with family and friends using the share buttons at the top of the page and discover more tempting vegetarian recipes here
