Asparagus & Mushroom Tarts For ‘Shroom Haters

Do you know someone with a deathly fear of mushrooms?

I don’t understand the aversion at all. A few of my friends make claims about mushiness and tastelessness, but I passionately beg to differ. Mushrooms soak up so much flavor and make deliciously juicy mouthfuls. Unless you like bland and dry, what’s not to love?

Considering the sedimentary habits I unfortunately assume every winter, I recently decided I needed more green in my diet to combat the inevitable cold weather sluggishness. And that’s when I found the best recipe in defense of mushrooms: asparagus and mushroom tarts adapted from Bon Appetit on Epicurious.

The original recipe used creme fraiche, but it’s expensive and more difficult to find, so I used a heavy cream and sour cream substitute instead. It does require a bit of prep work, but the steps are pretty straightforward–and the dish is an absolute pleasure to the palate. If you want to change someone’s mind about mushrooms, this is the one to serve.

Ingredients

• 1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 10 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out pastry sheet and cut into four squares. Use a small knife to score each edge, making a dent but taking care not to cut through the pastry. Cover and chill on baking sheets.

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes, then cool for 15 minutes. In the meantime, whip sour cream and heavy cream until soft peaks are formed. Add to mushrooms, then mix in asparagus, cheese, and the rest of the salt and pepper.

Mound veggies on pastry sheets within a half-inch border. Don’t be afraid to pile it on! The asparagus and mushroom will flatten as the tart bakes, and the puff pastry will rise to cradle the filling.