It’s finally that time of year again: wild garlic season is here! Last year I made enough wild garlic pesto to last until Autumn. I’ve already made a full stack of jars, but I wanted to experiment a bit more with it this year too.

With this tart I wanted something light and almost delicate, that would bring together the flavours of Spring. It works great as a lighter meal with any kind of salad, or to have cold for lunch the next day – I’ll definitely be making it again!

Ingredients (to fill a 23cm tin):
Pastry:
– 100g plain white flour
– 75g plain wholemeal flour
– 110g butter, cubed
– ½ tsp salt
– 2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling:
– 3 carrots (about 350g), peeled and chopped
– 25g butter
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 1 leek (about 150g), roughly chopped
– 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
– 4 spring onions, finely chopped
– 60g wild garlic leaves, washed and roughly chopped
– 150g feta, crumbled
– 35g veggie parmesan, grated
– handful fresh chives, finely chopped
– 200ml single cream
– 2 eggs, beaten
– handful of pine nuts

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 200°C. Prepare your carrots and transfer them to a roasting dish, along with a glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes, until golden and beginning to caramelise around the edges.

2. To make the pastry: use the tips of your fingers to rub together the butter, flours and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Use a round-bladed knife to stir in just enough water to form a dough, then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the butter, onion, leek, garlic and spring onions into a large pan; cook on at low-medium heat for about half an hour, until caramelised. Stir in the wild garlic leaves and cook for a few more minutes, until wilted.

4. Turn down your oven to 180°C and grease your tart tin. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick, then use your rolling pin to drape it over the tart tin. Lightly press down into the edges of the tin, then cut away the leftover pastry. Prick all over with a fork, then transfer to the oven to blind bake for 15 minutes.

5. Measure out the cream in a large jug, then add the eggs along with the roasted carrots, leek and wild garlic mixture, chives, parmesan and about 125g of the feta. Season, then pour into the cooked pastry case. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and remaining feta, then return to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling is golden and set.