Spinach and green bean tart

One of the joys of being a first time gardener has been growing my own vegetables.  I take a ridiculous delight in being able to pick spinach for dinner just minutes before I toss it in the pan.  Freshly picked beans and spinach, lightly cooked, with some pasta and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan make a delicious, simple, supper.

So when I had Grandma and the P's coming for lunch I knew I wanted to do something that would make use of my modest crop.

Felicity Cloake does a great weekly baking column in the Guardian called "How to make the perfect...".  A few months ago she published a recipe for a perfect asparagus tart.  I tried it at the time and was pleased with the result.

This time, I adapted the basic recipe of Felicity Cloake's asparagus tart.  Instead of the asparagus I mixed spinach leaves into the cream mixture and poured this over the cooked green beans I had already arreanged on the base of the tart.  Halfway through baking I sprinkled some grated parmesan over the top.  I took the easy route and used frozen pastry, but I am no less proud of the result.

This was a lovely way to use the spinach and beans from the garden, and more importantly it tasted rather good.  From garden to table in a matter of hours.  M brought potato salad (made from potatoes grown in her garden and local village eggs) and lettuce from her garden, so it was a meal made up from a real family harvest; a lovely way to welcome in the autumn season.

I love the layers in this tart.