Asparagus and - The Curious Cooks
Inspired by The Curious Cooks episode seven with fresh produce wholesaler Damon Watling of Quality Produce International, this Asparagus Tart showcases multiple WA producers and is one of the easiest and most delicious dishes you can whip up to enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Nothing beats simple, well grown and made produce when cooking up a winning recipe. Make sure you join us for our conversation with Damon and hear about the Journey Of Our Food, behind the scenes grower stories and, we dive into our consumer behavior with some surprising words from our guest.
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Recipe - Asparagus and Ricotta Tart
Dietaries - Veg / Serves 4 / Prep Time - 10 mins / Cook Time 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
1-2 bunches WA Asparagus, wished and trimmed
Western Australia’s asparagus season is one of my favourite moments in the food calendar — a spring flush of tender green and some vibrant purple spears that starts as early as late August and carries us beautifully through to March. Peak season runs September to November, with a few farms even coaxing out a smaller late-summer crop, meaning you’ll often find local spears popping up again in January and March.
Asparagus is now grown south in areas like Manjimup and in The Kimberly, so we are enjoying a longer season and slightly differing styles of asparagus depending on their growing region.
1 pack of Empire Puff Pastry - WA pastry makers from the Perth Hills
1 cup ricotta (see my list of favourite makers below)
2 free range eggs, lightly whisked with a fork
½ cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
TO PREPARE
Thaw pastry using instructions on the pack.
Set the oven to 210°C - or follow pack instructions for cooking the pastry you have purchased.
Lay thawed pastry out on a lined baking tray and use a sharp knife to draw a line 1cm inside the edges of the pastry.
Cook in the oven for 15 mins until puffed and golden.
Remove the pastry from the oven and press down inside the line with the back of a tablespoon, leaving a raised edge.
Whisk together ricotta, eggs, ½ the parmesan and salt and pepper in a small bowl and tip into the centre of the pastry.
Spread evenly with the back of the same tablespoon.
Lay the asparagus on the ricotta and gently press.
Sprinkle it with remaining parmesan.
Lower oven temp to 180°C and art back in the oven to cook for a further 15 mins or until the ricotta is set and the asparagus is a vibrant green.
Serve warm with leafy greens.
Try these local ricotta makers.
Rose Valley Cheese Company (Hilbert, Perth Hills) — A family-run Italian-heritage dairy crafting fresh, all-natural ricotta in the Perth Hills.
La Delizia Latticini (East Victoria Park) — Perth’s first artisan cheese-lab, producing small-batch fresh ricotta made daily.
Margaret River Dairy Company (South West) — A long-standing WA favourite known for creamy farmhouse-style ricotta made in the heart of Margaret River.
COOKS NOTES
Add halved cherry tomatoes if you’d like to mix things up
Serve topped with dressed baby rocket.