Broccoli and Leek Tart

A quick and easy tart jam packed with broccoli – perfect for using up the forest of broccoli shoots that fill the winter garden (and a fresh take on broccoli for dinner!). Add some sweet sweet leeks, and encase it all in my buttery, machine free pastry = tea time heaven.

Grease a loose bottom, tart tin.
Turn the oven to 190°
Pop an oven tray or pizza stone into the oven to cook the tart on, this’ll cook the pastry on the bottom.

Quick Buttery Pastry

90g butter
2 ½ Tblspn milk
pinch of salt
1 cup of flour
1 tsp raising powder

Gently heat the butter and milk in a small pot until the butter is melted
Take from the heat and stir in the flour, salt and raising powder until it forms a ball.
Break the pastry into bits and pat it into the tin, keeping an even thickness all the way round.

The Filling

3 Tblspn butter
6 perennial leeks or 2 leeks
375g broccoli shoots or one head cut into small florets
3 large eggs
½c milk
90g grated cheese or use crumbled feta
bunch of fresh thyme, stripped from the branch (or whatever fresh herbs you have on the go)
S&P

Wash the leeks and slice finely
Heat the butter slowly in a heavy frypan and cook the leeks gently till soft. Leave to cool.
Bring 1 cup of water and a good pinch of salt to the boil and add the broccoli. Cook for a mere 2mins, then drain reserving 1/2c of the water. Give the broccoli a quick rinse with cold water to slow cooking down.
Whisk the eggs and milk together. Add cheese, thyme, leeks, salt and pepper and 1/2c of cooking liquid. Stir together
Arrange the cooled broccoli in the pastry shell.
Pour the egg mix over.
Bake for 20mins. Then turn the oven down to 180 and cook another 20mins.