October is a tricky month for garden produce in Australia. In the community gardens in Katoomba, spring ingredients like peas, reseeding greens like Mizuna and Mibuna may already be bursting to go. Or they might equally have been blown over by a gale, subsumed by frost, dug up by local animals or ripped out by accident!
When you don’t know exactly what is going to be in the garden you can always rely on the pantry. Spring is a pretty good time of year for eggs. My hens at home are laying regularly in spring and so there’s always an oversupply of eggs, which is why I’ve chosen this Spring Green Tart to share with you. It’s a great base and very easily adapted to become a winter warmer with roast veggies, or a light fragrant tart showing off your garden greens’ seasonal personality.
Spring Green Tart features a boatload of happy hens’ eggs — we don’t bother using shop bought ones they just don’t taste the same. If you’re not hooked on hens at home yet, get to know your neighbours and you’re bound to find someone in your area with hens willing to sell or barter some eggs. (Editor Note: scour Farmers’ Markets for true free-range ethical eggs if you are apartment bound like so many of us these days. Not only is it better for the chooks but the eggs really do taste better!)
Spring also comes with peas and mint and all the new shoots. Broadbeans planted in autumn well before frost can be grazed for this dish too — you can pull the top tips off, which keeps the plant bushy as well as providing you with stopgap greens in early spring.
- For the tart filling:
- 500 g spring greens, including peas, leaves and herbs
- 1 generous Tbsp oil
- 1 small onion
- salt and black pepper
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup Jannei Goats feta
- 3 tablespoons sliced raw almonds
- For the tart crust:
- 1 cup wheat flour, plus more for rolling
- 1/4 cup cold pressed organic olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- Gather about 500g of spring greens from the garden or green grocer: If using thicker leafy greens like silverbeet, chop leaves into 2 cm and any stems into ½ cm pieces. Limit herbs to 100g and shred roughly. Thicker leaves like warigal greens need to be sliced more finely since they don’t really wilt like other spinach. Nettles need handling with gloves and given a good dunk in hot water with a little lemon in it to remove the sting and keep that vibrant colour, once they go limp they are safe to handle.
- Heat oil in large skillet and saute onion until translucent. Add leafy greens and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir through peas if using and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Mix flour and 1/4 tsp salt with oil and water and stir to form an even dough. Place dough on floured pastry board/table top and roll to fit a 20cm tart pan or quiche dish.
- Fit dough into pan, trimming any excess. Because it’s an oil based pastry there’s no chance of it sticking, ever.
- Beat eggs and cheese lightly to combine. Stir in the cooled greens and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into tart shell and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Bake for 40 mins, until just firm in the centre. Cool and cut into generous wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Photo Credit: Kat Szuminska
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