Makes 1 x 23cm • 9in tart
1 x 500g packet shortcrust pastry or
for home-made see you.co.uk
flour for rolling
Filling
600g • 22oz finger-thick asparagus
200g • 7oz quark
1 medium egg separated
40g • 1½ oz unsalted butter melted
sea salt and black pepper
200g • 7oz feta diced
150g • 5oz cherry tomatoes halved
1 tbsp good olive oil
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Have ready a 23cm • 9in loose-bottom tart tin. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface, lift and press it carefully into the tin, run a rolling pin over the top to trim the edges and reserve the trimmings.
Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, tucking it over the top to secure the pastry to the tin, and weight with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans, patch cracks if any with pastry trimmings and return to the oven for 10 minutes more or until lightly coloured.
Trim the asparagus (discard the trimmings at the point where the stems become visibly tough
and peel thicker stems as necessary). Cut off and reserve the asparagus tips and slice the stems into 4cm • 1½ in lengths. Cook the stems and spears separately in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, drain each in a colander and refresh under the cold tap.
Whiz the quark, egg yolk, butter and some seasoning in a food processor until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk the egg white until stiff in a medium bowl using an electric whisk and fold into the quark mixture. Set aside half the asparagus tips and fold the remaining tips and the asparagus stems into the quark mixture, with half the feta. Spoon evenly into the pastry case.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil in a medium-size bowl, then gently fold in the reserved asparagus tips and remaining feta. Scatter this evenly over the top of the tart and grind over some black pepper. Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly golden and set, then remove and leave to cool to room temperature.