Summer garden tart

Summer garden tart

Summer

Another of my assemblies, this tart is open to interpretation, alteration and variation. I’ve simply taken everything that is green and good from the garden and piled it onto puff pastry, which I’d suggest is a most suitable vessel. Without the pastry this would become a light and delicate salad, and one with absolute merit. On toast, you would have a colourful bruschetta – or in a broth of light chicken stock, a beautiful garden soup. The quantities here are a guide for you. If broad beans aren’t your favourite, you could use asparagus. Peppery rocket would make a great alternative to the nasturtiums I’m using; and when it comes to herbs, it really is your call.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the tart

  • 1 sheet of good-quality, ready-rolled puff pastry (about 25cm x 15cm/10in x 6in)
  • 3 or 4 small–medium courgettes, trimmed and sliced into 1cm (½in) thick rounds
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 300g (10½oz) broad beans in the pod, podded
  • 2–3 handfuls of super-fresh peas in the pod (or use frozen peas)
  • about 100g (3½oz) feta cheese
  • 4–6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
  • a little of each of the following prepared herbs, if available: chives (leaves and flowers), fennel (tops and flowers), mint leaves, nasturtium leaves, thyme leaves
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mayonnaise

  • ½ small garlic clove, peeled and grated
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ½ teaspoon English mustard
  • juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
  • ½ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds, ground
  • 175ml (5½fl oz) sunflower oil
  • 75ml (2¼fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

Method

First, make the mayonnaise. Place the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and zest and fennel seeds in a food processor. Season and whiz for 30 seconds. Combine the oils in a jug. With the processor running, slowly add them to the mixture, a few drops at a time at first, then in a trickle. Once you’ve added all the oil, you should have a thick, glossy mayo that holds its shape. Stir in the chopped fennel tops, taste and add more salt, pepper, mustard or lemon, if required. If the mayo seems too thick, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of warm water. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a baking tray large enough to hold your puff pastry sheet with baking parchment. Place the pastry on top and gently score a 2cm (¾in) margin all the way around the edge of the pastry. Place the tray in the oven and bake the pastry for 18–25 minutes, or until puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven and carefully press down the pastry within the scored margin. It will break and crack a bit but this is what you want.

Heat the grill to hot. Scatter the courgettes over a large baking tray. Season them well with salt and pepper, scatter over the lemon zest and trickle over half the olive oil. Turn the courgette slices to coat, then arrange them in a single layer over the tray. Place the courgettes under the grill for about 6–8 minutes, turning once, until golden and blistered on both sides. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the broad beans and peas for 2–3 minutes, until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Pop any larger beans out of their skins, as they can be a little tough. Season the beans and peas with a little salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon and half the remaining olive oil.

To assemble, scatter the courgettes over the base of the pastry case. Crumble over half the cheese randomly, then scatter over the peas, beans and spring onions. Add the remaining cheese, then strew over the herb flowers and leaves. Give everything a trickle with the remaining olive oil and finish with a final spritz of lemon juice before serving with the lemon mayonnaise.

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