Local Flavour: Asparagus, Pea and Feta Tart Recipe with Kepos St Kitchen

Learning to cook from his mother and aunties growing up in Israel, Michael’s upbringing heavily influences the outstanding offering at Kepos St Kitchen — some of the best eats in Sydney.

Having turned his passion for cooking into a career that has spanned the globe and landed him with one of the most accomplished cafés in Sydney, we knew Michael was our friend to call on when looking for some culinary inspiration.

We got a chance to ask Michael what his favourite meal is, and what he recommends we have a crack at this weekend in the kitchen.

“I think a weekend brunch is sometimes the best meal of the week because you have a little more time to prepare and a little more time to enjoy the meal. I don’t get to have brunch that often at the moment because I am usually cooking for other people at the restaurants, but it is a great way to entertain friends and family".

Asparagus, Pea and Feta Tart

"This tart is easy to assemble and most of the components can be made ahead of time. It looks pretty and tastes delicious and fresh. If you don’t want to use the peas you can use another vegetable”.

Ingredients

350g frozen green peas, thawed overnight
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1 sheet all-butter puff pastry(about 20cm x 30cm)
12-14 asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed
150g feta cheese
3 soft-boiled eggs
Micro herbs for garnish (optional)

Steps

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Put the peas in a bowl and crush them. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
Put the pastry on the prepared tray and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed up and very firm. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Heat a chargrill pan or a barbeque grill to high. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until grill marks appear.
Assemble the tart, put the pastry on a chopping board (this will make it easier to cut), and top with the crushed pea mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tart.
Tear the eggs in half and arrange them on the tart. Top with the grilled asparagus and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over the micro herbs, if using.