Asparagus tart with Kefalotyri cheese

Very tasty tart and easy enough since you save time using a store-bought pastry. Of course if you wish you can follow your favourite recipe or to use one of the recipes off this blog. Here I have a small tip in case the pastry cracks while baking. It has happened to me and I would like to share this tip with you. All you have to do is to brush the bottom and the sides of the pastry with a beaten egg yolk and bake it for another 2 minutes

Adapted from a recipe of Thalia Tsichlaki

from "BHMAgazino" of "TO BHMA" newspaper (2009)

Ingredients (for 6-8 people):
300gr. of store-bought shortcrust pastry
some all-purpose flour
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed and blanched
2 whole eggs
1-2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp of lemon zest (optional -my addition)

100gr. of Greek Kefalotyri cheese, grated
300 ml of single cream
salt
pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush with some oil a tart tin with removable bottom of 30cm diameter.

Dust a clean surface with some flour and roll out the shortcrust pastry sheet. Lay the pastry in the tin, trim the edges all around and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Blind bake the pastry, covered with baking paper and using some rice to keep it steady, for 10-12 minutes. When ready and golden take out of the oven and leave aside.

Cut the spears of the asparagus up to 8cm and the rest of them into small pieces.

Put the small pieces in a blender and whiz until they are well mashed. Add the eggs, the cheese and the cream and whiz for a couple of seconds. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon zest.

Empty the asparagus mixture in the cold tart shell and arrange the 8cm asparagus pieces in a spoke pattern on top of the cream.

Put the tart back in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the cream is thickened and set. Switch off the oven and leave the tart in for another 20 minutes, keeping the oven door open.