Somehow the end of March sneaked up on me while I wasn’t looking! I have been very aware of the trees leafing out, the tulips starting to bloom, daylight savings time of course, but the actual dates…not so much.
March was a very busy month for food styling with many photo shoots that needed a lot of my attention as well as a few garden renovation projects that have been taking up the remainder of my time. This morning I realized there is only one more day in March. I felt happy as this is a week I can stay home for a few days, and a little sad as it is all moving by so quickly. Alas such is life! Is that not April I see on the near horizon?
I made this Spring Leeks & Asparagus Tarts recipe a couple of years ago for a dinner party. Perfect for an Easter brunch or lunch. Enjoy.
Small leeks just pulled from the garden…
….thin, tender asparagus, shallots chopped & caramelized……
…crispy bacon crumbled.
Flaky buttery pie crusts with just a bit of cornmeal to add some crunch. I just love these rectangle tart pans with fluted edges & removable bottoms.
Varicolored eggs…perfect for Easter.
A scattering of chopped leeks over the crusts, topped with a parmesan-egg mix….
…caramelized shallots ….
…decoratively arranged asparagus…one tart with bacon, one without.
Puffy, warm and ready to eat.
Spring Leek & Asparagus Tarts
Ingredients:
- For 2 crusts: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal.1 tsp salt, 1 cup cold butter cut into small pieces & ice water
- 6-8 small Spring leeks (or 2 regular size leeks), trimmed & sliced
- 1/2 lb thin asparagus spears
- 8 eggs
- 7 slices bacon cooked crisp & chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped & sautéed until caramelized
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a food processor place the flour, cornmeal & salt & pulse a few times. Add butter pieces & pulse until mixture is crumbly looking. With processor running drizzle in ice water until a dough ball forms. Remove dough & divide in half forming two balls. Flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic & chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out dough and fit into two rectangle tart pans with removable bottoms, trimming edges, or 2 pie pans.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, yogurt & salt & black pepper until well blended. Set aside.
- Evenly scatter the sliced leeks over the bottom of each tart shell and ladle the egg mixture over the top.
- Sprinkle the top of each tart with caramelized shallots & chopped bacon. I added the bacon to one tart and made the other vegetarian.
- Decoratively place the asparagus spears over the tops of each tart gently pressing into the filling.
- Place filled tart pans on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and puffy. Remove to cool a few minutes before serving on a wire rack. Serve hot or at room temp.