Spring Vegetable Tart

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a brunch that features the bounty of the season. This all-purpose tart is easy to load with whatever vegetables are stacked highest at the farmers’ market. Our version pairs elegant leeks and asparagus with pungent fontina cheese; serve it with a tangle of frisee and a glass of crisp white wine — preferably on the deck or patio.

 

Spring Vegetable Tart

 

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, about 1/2 lb. (250 g.), thawed

1 cup (4 oz./125 g.) shredded fontina cheese

15-20 thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed

1 small leek, white part only, halved and thinly sliced

2 eggs

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml.) whole milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the puff pastry on the prepared sheet. Fold over the sides to make a 1-inch (2.5-cm.) rim, overlapping the pastry at the corners and pressing it lightly. Inside the rim, prick the pastry all over with a fork.

 

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom of the pastry inside the rim. Top with the asparagus, laying the spears vertically in a row from one side of the pastry to the other. Sprinkle the leeks over the asparagus. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper until well combined. Remove the pastry from the oven. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the asparagus and leeks and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the tart stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

 

Find more seasonal, vegetable-focused dishes in our new cookbook Vegetable of the Day, by Kate McMillan.