Easy Asparagus Tart

It's been "Martha Stewart Revival Days" lately at our house.  First it was the Chocolate Crackle Cookies, then I pulled together a fantastic Cobb Salad with guidance from the Everyday Food Cookbook, and finally, this tart.  Not only does it scream spring, but it goes splendidly with a nice glass of red wine.  Or two.

I ended up making a smaller scale version because a) I had only a small bunch of asparagus, not enough to fill an entire rectangle of puff pastry, and b) our little family of three didn't exactly need to eat a large rectangle of puff pastry.  After all summer will be here soon.  Summer = summer clothes and summer clothes= take it easy on the puff pastry.

We ate slices of tart along side a bowl of veggie soup for dinner.  It would also make a terrific appetizer or happy hour snack.

Asparagus Tart
Adapted from Everyday Food from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living


1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1-2 bunches of asparagus (you will need two if using the full sheet)
1 - 1.5c Gruyere cheese
olive oil

Heat oven to 400F/200C

Directions

1.  Wash asparagus and trim the ends.

2.  Roll out the puff pastry and cut into a large rectangle (or whatever size you need to fit how much asparagus you have).

3.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4.  Using a sharp knife, gently cut (deep but not all the way through) a one-inch border around the perimeter of the dough.

5.  Pierce the inside several times with the tines of a fork.

6.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Check at 10 minutes.  You want it to be lightly golden brown but not too done since you will bake it again.

7.  Remove from oven.

8.  Sprinkle the cheese all over the puff pastry.

9.  Carefully place the asparagus spears on top, alternating ends to tips.

10.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

11.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes until asparagus is tender-crisp.

12.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  May be served warm or at room temperature.

A Quick and Super Easy Snack or Appetizer

Quick and easy, yes.  Healthy?  Nej, desvære, as they say in Danish.  But sometimes one is willing to make sacrifices if it means saving time and having something tasty to serve to friends.  And besides, these snack bites are so tiny you can pop as little or as many in your mouth as you wish.  But I warn you, they are habit forming.

To get a bowl of your own sweet or savory bites, it's simple.  Buy a package of puff pastry.  Start with one sheet and cut into strips 2" long by 1" wide (give or take a little).  Place a piece of whatever filling you fancy on top of a strip and fold dough around the filling.  Pinch lightly with your fingers to seal (even so, some come undone during baking, but no big deal).  Filling ideas:  dates, blue cheese, green olives, black olives, small pieces of bacon, or any combination thereof.  My husband taught me to make these and I first had them with bacon.  It's sort of like a super fancy version of pork rinds, and way tastier.  Bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes.  Watch carefully because they brown rapidly after the 10 or so minute mark (and ovens vary).

I have several posts in the queue but have been MIA lately because of the sick people in my house.  Question:  is it better to stay healthy or get sick right along with them?  I've managed to stay well and on one hand it's great but on the other it means taking care of every itsy bitsy, teeny tiny need of my family:  running to the store for more tissues, making pot after pot of tea, squeezing medicine into noses, applying Mentholatum to chests, listening to persistent hacking coughs and my husband putting my hand to his forehead and saying every five minutes "Do I feel hot?"

Back soon.