An Easy, Tasty Lunch

Given that I work part time and have two young children, lunch is normally leftovers from the night before or an assortment of whatever is in the fridge and cupboard on a particular day. It might be cheese on toast, noodles with tuna, a sandwich or salad. Often it's whatever the kids haven't eaten!

Today, we'd done our shopping and running around in the morning and I felt like making something a bit more fancy than usual for lunch. At the moment I have a bit of a thing for peas and broad beans. I love all green veg, but find that the sweetness of these two is amazing. They are so versatile and can be used whole or pureed, in soups, salad, pasta or risotto.

After having a bit of a think and a play around, I decided to make a tart of sorts, using up bits and pieces that I already had. As much as homemade pastry is delicious, sometimes you don't have the time to make it. Ready made, frozen pasty does the job!

This tart was so easy to make and could be whipped up for a impromtu lunch, weekend afternoon nibble with drinks or a light dinner. It was so easy the kids helped me to make it! Not much skill involved.

Pea, Broad Bean, Feta and Mint Tart

1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of frozen broad beans
50g creamy feta cheese (I like Danish feta)
A Squeeze of lemon juice
10 mint leaves, plus extra to serve
1 sheet of frozen shortcrust or puff pastry, defrosted
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Cook the frozen peas and broad beans in boiling water on the stove top or in the microwave for 2-3 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
Remove the outer skins from the broad beans and discard.
Place the peas, beans, half the feta, lemon juice and mint into a food processor and puree until still a bit chunky.
Season to taste.

Place your square of pastry on a lightly greased oven tray.
Score a line about 1cm from the edge, all the way around, to make a central area where you want your filling.
Spread the filling into the middle of the pastry, making sure it goes right to the edges of the line you have drawn.
Place the tray in the oven and bake tart for about 15 mins, or until the pasty is golden and puffed.
Remove from the baking tray to a board or serving plate, sprinkle with the remaining feta that has been cut into small cubes and a few extra chopped mint leaves.

Enjoy!

And To Drink...

Normally I wouldn't have a drink at lunch time on a Monday, but after making a nicer lunch than usual, I thought 'why not?'. Anyway, there was an open bottle of wine in the fridge that was calling out to me!

This bottle of Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2008 Autumn Riesling was bought years ago and has been sitting in the cellar. I think we bought it in 2008 when we were last in the Barossa, so it's been waiting 5 years to be drunk!

Being an Autum Riesling, it is more in the style of a German wine, so is a bit lighter and a little sweeter. Perfect for a midday tipple! Having a few years of age on it, the fruit flavours weren't as obvious, but it was much more complex. It had aromas of honeysuckle and peach, with some fine acidity.

It matched perfectly with the sweetness of the peas and beans in the tart. The saltiness of the feta made the honeysuckle and acidity more obvious, but not overpowering.

Unfortunately I enjoyed the tart with the kids and the wine on my own, but this would have been great if the girls had come around!