asparagus & swiss tart

The weekend after I turned 16 years old, my best friend, Laura Galloway, and I went in search of our first jobs. Laura’s birthday is the day after mine, so we ventured out together, filling out applications in just about every store at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

At that time SFS was a small outdoor mall with two anchor stores (Goldwater’s and Diamonds) and a couple of dozen shops.

We each got part-time seasonal jobs; Laura was a gift-wrapper at Switzer’s, a women’s clothing store, while I was making cheese balls and cheese logs across the way at Hickory Farms.

My favorite cheese at Hickory Farms was Jarlsberg, a Norwegian Swiss-type cheese with a mild buttery and nutty flavor.

After being “knee-high” in the cheese used in the cheese balls and logs, to this day, I can’t stand even the smell of those particular cheese blends, but I still love Jarlsberg and decided to use it in my asparagus tart for Easter.

Before I get to the recipe, take a look at this beautiful photo that Marissa took in Round Top, Texas. We went in search of fun vintage items during the 48th Annual Spring Antique Show. It was the final day of the 2-week long event but there was still plenty to see.

Of course, the real problem was not the number of goods, but rather the size. Having to limit my purchases to what could fit in a suitcase, I missed out on the stuff that really interested me.

The most heartbreaking is this amazing reclaimed barn wood sink for backyard entertaining. I’ll be dreaming about this beauty for a long time to come!

Asparagus and Jarlsberg Tart

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese (or another Swiss cheese)
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends snapped off
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Balsamic glaze *

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the two puff pastry sheets on the paper, overlapping them about half an inch to connect them.

Press the two pieces together. Using a sharp paring knife, lightly score the pastry dough 1-inch in from the edges all around the rectangle of dough. Then, using a fork, pierce the dough all around in the center, taking care to not pierce the outside 1-inch you created.

Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden, for about 15 minutes.

While the pastry bakes; whisk the Dijon, honey, and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, use a pastry brush to brush on the Dijon/honey mixture and then sprinkle on the Jarlsberg cheese, taking care to keep the mustard and the cheese off of the outer edge/crust.

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell. Arrange them in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips as shown in the photo above. Brush the top with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Return to the oven and continue to bake until the asparagus is tender about 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two.

Then drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

Cut into rectangles or squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

*If you don’t have a balsamic glaze, you can make your own by putting about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar in a very small saucepan and bringing it to a boil until the vinegar reduces to a syrupy consistency. With this small amount, it will happen quickly so keep a close eye on it.

Serves 8 to 10