Asparagus Tart

Cooking Instructions

Have ready two 9-inch tart pans with removable bottoms and 2 jelly-roll pans or cookie sheets.

To make crust in a food processor: Process flour, cornmeal, salt and butter on/off until coarse crumbs form. With motor running, add milk and egg. Process just until dough leaves sides of bowl. By hand: In a medium-size bowl, mix flour, cornmeal and salt until blended. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or work it in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg mixture with a fork until a dough forms. Press dough into a ball. Divide in half and pat each half into a 1-inch-thick disk.

Put a disk in each tart pan and press dough over bottom and up sides until even with rim. Freeze about 10 minutes.

Adjust racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 425°F.

Press a square of foil directly on dough over bottom and up sides of each pan. Bake on lower oven rack 12 to 15 minutes until edges of crust are very lightly browned and crust is just set. Remove foil.

While crusts bake, cook asparagus uncovered in a large, deep skillet of boiling water 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain in a colander and chill under running cold water. Drain well. Reserve 1 cup asparagus tips for top of tarts.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. For each tart, scatter 1 cup asparagus pieces then 3/4 cup cheese in crust; pour on 11/2 cups egg mixture. Scatter 1/2 cup reserved asparagus tips and 1/4 cup chopped tomato over top.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Place each tart on a jelly-roll pan. Put 1 pan on each oven rack. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, switching position of pans on racks halfway through baking, until tops of tarts are light golden and a pick inserted in centers comes out clean.

Remove pan sides. Serve tarts hot or warm, or leave in pans, cool, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Before serving, reheat in a 350°F oven 20 to 25 minutes, then remove pan sides.

Planning Tip:  This can be made 2 days ahead and reheated.