Sami Tamimi, the Palestinian chef, shares a recipe for an asparagus and za’atar tart that celebrates the arrival of spring. The tart, made with ready-rolled puff pastry, combines roasted red onion, goat’s cheese, cheddar, and fresh asparagus, seasoned with za’atar and oregano. It is baked until golden and served with a vibrant fattoush salad.
The tart preparation begins by roasting sliced red onion with olive oil and salt at 200C (180C fan) for 15 minutes. The puff pastry is pricked with a fork, leaving a border, then spread with a mixture of goat’s cheese, cheddar, egg, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper. Asparagus tossed in olive oil, za’atar, salt, and pepper is arranged on top, followed by the roasted onions and remaining cheddar. The pastry edges are folded over, glazed with egg yolk, and sprinkled with za’atar before baking for 25 minutes.
The accompanying fattoush salad features toasted wholewheat pitta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, radishes, spring onions, parsley, and mint. The dressing includes garlic, lemon juice, white-wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, cinnamon, allspice, sumac, and salt. The pitta is toasted at 200C for 10-12 minutes, then broken into pieces and added just before serving.
Tamimi notes that the tart can be adapted with seasonal ingredients, while the fattoush recalls his mother’s version with buttermilk dressing. This recipe serves four and takes 50 minutes to cook, with 10 minutes of preparation.
