Make it work

Why can't we just have Fava beans?

I've really only watched "Project: Runway" once or twice -- and yes, that's true, despite how shocking it might seem -- but I came to love the one person on the show that actually seemed to care about the designers -- Tim Gunn.  He is the sardonic guy who is like the den mother in the room where all the work is done.  Not long after I saw him, I started using his catchphrase -- the three words he would end almost every conversation with, "Make it work."  Apt advice, I think... even in the kitchen.

So when I found myself with a handful of asparagus and some puff pastry dangerously close to it's expiration date, I thought, "Who cares if i don't have Gruyere!  Howzabout a nice Asparagus and Cheddar Tart! Make it work!"  If those sound like famous last words... well, you're not entirely wrong. But -- you're not right either.

I saw this recipe a long while back in Everyday Food, and it called for very few ingredients, which I like.  I like to be able to look in the fridge, freezer and pantry, and then pick a recipe based on what I've got. That means, the simpler the better.  It's asparagus season, and I love the stuff, but I'm getting tired of all our regular preparations... steaming, pan frying, and my favorite, roasting. I knew I had some puff pastry left over from Christmas, so I thought I'd try this simple "tart."  And please don't remind me it's essentially roasting.

Because I didn't have any Gruyere on hand, I had to "make it work," with another cheese. Ideally, I would have used another dry, aged cheese, but I didn't want to use that much of my Parmigiano-Reggiano. Besides, it doesn't melt well.  Cheddar on the other hand, melts fantastically, but has way more oil than Gruyere, so I was afraid I'd end up with a greasy mess, so I cut down the total amount of cheese by a little bit.

I wanted a little something extra, too.  If I had used Gruyere, I might have used fresh Thyme, but I knew it probably wouldn't hold up to the cheddar. Not many herbs would. So, that meant a spice instead. A little sprinkle of cayenne pepper gave the whole thing the oomph it needed.

As you can see from the photo, I didn't properly score the edges, and I could have used some more asparagus, but the veges themselves were tender, the puff pastry was flaky and buttery, and the cheese and cayenne were a great pair.   Try out a kitchen experiement yourself!  Unless you are baking from scratch (and that's where little measurements make a big difference), you'll likely come up with something new and surprising to eat. Make it work!