asparagus gruyère tart

i love tarts. all shapes and sizes, but especially savory ones. so with today's balmy 60+ degrees here in the city, i treated myself to a hint of spring for dinner. this tart is super easy to make and is as delicious as it sounds. when creating a meal, i tend to focus more on contrasting textures rather than complimentary flavors, so for the side we had my favorite crispy carrot-celery slaw. and just for a moment, i felt like it truly was spring and i was relaxing outside in the back garden.

asparagus gruyère tart: serves 4
from martha's website

1 frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces gruyère cheese, shredded
1 1/2 lbs medium asparagus
1 tb olive oil
salt + pepper
flour for work surface

1. preheat oven to 400F. on floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle (note: next time i would probably roll out on floured parchment paper and transfer to baking sheet; it was a bitch to pick up otherwise!) trim any uneven edges. place pastry on baking sheet and with sharp knife, lightly score 1 inch from the edges to mark rectangle. pierce pastry with fork at 1/2 inch intervals. bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2. remove pastry from oven and sprinkle with gruyère. trim bottoms of asparagus and fit crosswise in shell alternating tips and ends. brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. bake until tender, 20 - 25 minutes.



crispy carrot-celery slaw

this salad always goes through slightly different incarnations each time we make it, so i can't really offer an actual recipe. but the basics: julienne a bunch of peeled carrots, and cut celery into matchsticks (a mandoline would shred the celery instead of cutting it). it should be an even ratio carrot to celery. toss with a scant amount of olive oil, just enough to barely coat. add any light vinegar. we typically use a sherry or champagne. this vinaigrette should be more vinegar than oil, a 2 or 3 to 1 ratio, depending on what type of vinegar you use. season with salt and pepper, and whatever other season combos you like. add lemon juice. toss and serve!