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One of my favourite vegetables is finally in season. Asparagus is one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. A native of Europe, Asia and North Africa, this vegetable is one of the oldest used ingredients in the world, appearing in recipes book as early as the 3rd Century AD.

Aspargus is best early in the season (September to December), so October is the perfect time to source this versatile vegie. Asparagus is available in 3 different colours, purple, white and the most common variety, green.

Here is my recipe for Asparagus and Blue Cheese Tart – perfect for a light spring dinner!

Asparagus and Blue Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
50 grams creamy blue cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup crème fraîche
Salt & pepper
Approx. 15 asparagus spears
1 x shallot
1 x clove of garlic
Tbsp butter
2 sheets of pre-rolled flaky pastry

Method:
Pre heat oven to 180c.

Line your tart dish with pastry and blind bake. Blind baking is pre-cooking the pie crust. Line the crust with baking paper and fill with uncooked rice and bake for 15 minutes.

Sauté the garlic, shallots and asparagus in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from stove.

In a bowl, soften the blue cheese in the microwave. Add crème fraîche to the mixture and mix. Add the eggs to the cheese mixture and mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove pastry from the oven (being careful not to burn your finger as I stupidly did!) and arrange the asparagus spears in the tart in a star arrangement. Any overflow of asparagus, chop and arrange amongst spears. Arrange sautéed shallots and garlic throughout the tart.

Pour the cheese and egg mixture over the asparagus, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve warm with a fresh green salad.