Sugar Snap Pea and Mint Tart

This is fantastic when accompanied with a tossed salad, and even more enticing rounded off with buttery new potatoes. Enjoy in the sunshine with a crisp white wine and relish every mouthful of this delightfully decadent dish! 

Ingredients

Pastry

- 400g plain flour

- 200g diced butter

- 2 pinches of salt

- 3-4 tablespoons of lukewarm water

- x1 teaspoon of dried herbs

Contents

- 300 ml milk 

- 50g soft cheese

- x4 medium eggs

- salt & pepper (for seasoning)

- 150g sugar snap peas 

- large handful of mint leaves

- a dash of extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat your oven to fan 190 degrees/ 200 degrees C/ gas mark 6 and rub all of the inside of a 30cm circular tart tray with butter. Begin to create your pastry. In a bowl, empty all the flour and butter and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles a breadcrumb-like consistency. At this point, add your salt, dried herbs and some of your water - if it gets too moist and sticky you've added too much water, so add some of it to see how it feels. You may need more, or you may need less. When you can clean all of the inside of the bowl with your pastry ball you'll know you have it right. 

2. Roll out the pastry ball on a lightly floured surface (flour the shaft of your rolling pin too to avoid any sticking!) and roll out the pastry until it is at the thickness of about a £1 coin. Roll the pasty up around your rolling pin and carefully lay it across your tart tray and fit it neatly into the tray, cutting off any excess on the edges but making certain your pastry overlaps consistently all the way around. with some tin foil or baking paper, line the inside and fill with baking beans and cook for 15 minutes. 

3. While the pastry is in the oven, make your filling. Boil 150g sugar snap peas in boiling water for 3-4 minutes so they still have a slight al dante firmness to them. Mix your milk, soft cheese, eggs and seasoning in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. 

4. Once the pastry is out of the oven and the baking beans, foil or baking paper is removed, drain your peas and pour them into the contents of the tin. Add your mint leaves and mix the peas and the mint leaves together and distribute evenly all around the inside of the pastry. Slowly and carefully pour the mixture into the tin. Once all poured in, sprinkle with some pepper and a dash of extra virgin olive oil and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is starting to brown slightly. 

Eat warm or enjoy a couple of days later as a quick and thoroughly delicious lunch! 

Felice cottura a tutti! J xx 👍😎