Would you call yourself a foodie?
I know some people hate that word, and it’s true that it sometimes has negative connotations – used to describe the sort of person who turns their nose up at anything short of champagne and truffles – but personally, I think it just means someone who loves food. And using that definition, I am definitely a foodie.
These smoked cheese, walnut and broccoli tarts are only about 4 inches across, so they make a great starter – or you can add a few side dishes to make a full meal. They’re stuffed with garlicky leeks, broccoli and walnuts, and they’re topped with smoked cheddar cheese – absolutely delicious.
I’ve had these little metal pie dishes for a while now, and I’ve finally got around to using them. If you don’t have any, I’d really recommend getting some (turns out I’m now a kitchen equipment pusher…). They’re easy to use, and the metal edge helps to cut the pastry in just the right place – lining them with pastry is a breeze. Make sure you blind bake them for ten or fifteen minutes before you trim the edges of the pastry, as the it does shrink a bit when it starts to cook.
Walnuts might seem like an unusual addition to these tarts, but as they bake they lose their intense crunch, but still have a bit of bite to them, which goes really well with the soft vegetables. Don’t skip them!
Smoked cheddar, walnut and broccoli tarts
Ingredients
- Flour for dusting
- 200 g shortcrust pastry (enough to make 4 squares measuring ~ 6 inches)
- Spray oil
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 leek, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 1/4 head broccoli, cut into very small florets
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tbsp walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 4 tbsp smoked cheddar cheese, grated
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- On a floured surface, roll out the pastry until it's very thin (even if it's pre-rolled). Cut into four squares measuring around 6 inches. Lightly spray four mini pie dishes with oil (mine measured around 4 inches in diameter), and lay a square of pastry over each. Lifting the edges of the pastry, gently push it into each pie dish with a knuckle, being sure to push the pastry right into the corners. Trim off any large amounts of excess pastry (I find it easiest to use a pair of scissors), leaving around a centimetre excess around the edges of the pie dishes to allow for the pastry shrinking.
- Prick the pastry a few times with a fork, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until just starting to firm up.
- While the pastry is baking, heat the oil in a pan, and add the sliced leek and small florets of broccoli. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, then add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- When the pastry cases are ready, trim the excess pastry from around the edge with a sharp knife (rest it along the edge of the tin and it should be easy). Add the leek and broccoli mixture to the four pastry cases, and pour over the beaten egg. Scatter over the roughly chopped walnuts, and top with the grated smoked cheddar and a little black pepper.
- Return to the oven for a further 40 minutes or so, until the cheese is golden brown and the egg has set.
Note: nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
Here’s another of my favourite little bites – goat’s cheese and apple pie bites:
Jenny
Tuesday 12th of December 2017
These sound delicious :) Thinking of making them as the veggie alternative on Christmas Day. Do you think they would reheat ok if I made in advance (and possibly freeze, depending on when I make)? Thanks!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Wednesday 20th of December 2017
I haven't tried freezing these but I don't see why it wouldn't work - just reheat them in the oven so they stay nice and crispy :)
Angrboda
Saturday 5th of September 2015
I made this the other day with a number of modifications. It turned out well, so I thought I'd share.
1. I never use ready-made pastry. I used my standard shortcrust recipe but added a couple of teaspoons of smoked paprika because, 2. Smoked cheddar is... available in this country, but you'd have to go to an actual cheese shop and pay a small fortune for it, so that sort of thing is not for cooking with. Used regular cheddar instead. 3. I don't have those small tart dishes, so I made a regular sized one instead. Used two leeks, a whole head of broccoli (didn't use the stem), a small handful of walnuts and four eggs. Didn't use extra garlic though, because I don't care much for it so tend to use it quite sparingly (often, I just skip it entirely).
I'll definitely do it again (with my neccessary modifications), but because it's so much larger than yours, next time I'll probably mix the cheese into the vegetables or possibly the eggs instead of just putting it on top. I considered adding some creme fraiche to the eggs to make it more flan-like, but decided against it and I don't think I will do so next time either. I quite liked that the vegetables were standing more on their own like this than in a typical flan.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Sunday 6th of September 2015
Glad you enjoyed it! Your modifications all sound very reasonable :) thanks for the comment!
Sarah
Monday 31st of August 2015
Never heard of a food marathon before - love the idea of that! Your tarts looks delicious too! :) Pinning!
Tara
Thursday 27th of August 2015
Pretty much love eveything about these, including those cute little tins!!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Thursday 27th of August 2015
I am digging YOUR definition of a "foodie" and why Yes, I would consider myself one! I am also digging the 24 hour food marathon! How awesome is that!! I totally WISH I could attend, I am sure it is worth every calorie! :) Also on my list of things I dig- these tarts! They are fabulous! Love that they are stuffed with leeks, broccoli and walnuts! Plus that smoked cheddar topping! SERIOUSLY YUM! Pinned! Cheers and thanks for sharing the deliciousness!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Thursday 27th of August 2015
Haha! Wow I love your enthusiasm ;) thanks for sharing!