Chard and Cheese Tart (4-6)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. To make the pastry, put the flour into a large bowl, then use your fingertips (or a food processor) to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheddar and poppy seeds.
  2. Add the egg and milk and work the dough into a ball, using as much of the ice-cold vodka as needed to make it pliable. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a rectangular tin about 30cm x 20cm. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to allow the pastry to settle.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Line your tart shell with baking paper and ceramic baking beans (or dried beans) and blind-bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and give the tart shell another five minutes in the oven to crisp up. Set aside to cool.
  4. Meanwhile, for the filling, wash the chard well then trim off any really dry bits, keeping as much of the stems as possible. Plunge the chard into a pan of boiling water for a few minutes, then refresh under cold water and wring it out like a sponge to get out as much water as possible.
  5. Roughly chop, give it another squeeze (any excess moisture will make your tart soggy) and put in a bowl. Add the spring onions, cream, eggs and whatever cheese you are using – some grated and some cut into cubes.
  6. Tip the filling into the cooled tart case, sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until just set. Serve with salad and chutney.