Asparagus, King Oyster Mushrooms and Goat cheese Tart

The combination of asparagus and mushrooms is one of my favorites. Their flavors and textures seem to work so well together. I like to sauté them together and mix with cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese and good olive oil, or serve with polenta.
But when I saw these wonderful King Oyster mushrooms at the store, I thought it would be a shame to just chop them, so I’ve decided to use their unique shape with whole asparagus in this tart, which is very quick and easy to assemble and is just perfect for brunch.

As is the case with most dishes that contain a few ingredients and do not rely on cooking expertise, the result depends heavily on the quality of the ingredients.
Make sure to start with good quality puff pastry (preferably homemade with butter (also available online), or at the very least one that is made with non hydrogenated oil), add to it fresh Asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese, and your dish will be a hit.

Makes: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4-5 each (6 oz, 170 grams) King Oyster mushrooms
3 Tbs olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground 4 pepper mix
1 bunch (1 lb, 450 grams)) Asparagus
¼ cup water
1 lbs (455 grams) good quality puff pastry sheet (10”x15”, 25cmx38 cm)
6 thin slices (about 3 oz, 90 grams) Swiss cheese
4 oz (115 grams) fresh garlic and herbs goat cheese
1 Tbs chopped red jalapeno pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 420F (215C).
2. Cut the mushrooms in half, lengthwise. Cut each half, lengthwise, into 2-3 sections. Heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a pan on medium heat, and add the cut mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fry gently on all sides for 1-2 minutes. Take off the heat and bring to room temperature.

3. Cut off about 1” (2.5cm) of the asparagus ends and place in a large pan, in one layer. Add the water and sprinkle with salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and let steam for 1-2 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green, tender but still firm. Place on paper towels and bring to room temperature.

4. Line a 12”x8” (20cm x 30cm) baking pan with the rolled dough, pressing the edges of the dough to the sides of the pan, to create a rim. Prick the dough all over with a fork.

5. Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the dough and add the asparagus and the mushrooms. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Scatter the red jalapeno, drizzle 1 Tbs olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the dough is puffed and golden, starting in the lower part of the oven for the first 10 minutes and finishing in the upper part of the oven.
7. Take out of the oven and let rest in the pan for 2-3 minutes, before carefully transferring to a large cutting board. Portion with a large, sharp knife, drizzle the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil on top and serve.