Anna Jones’ recipes for herby crisp garlic salad and tarragon cheese tart - MW

I think of herbs as a group of friends.

Parsley, whom everyone likes, who keeps the crew together. Mint is sparkling, always first on the dance floor. Cilantro comments, isn for everyone Taste. Basil was a lovely extrovert and brought to life everything. Tarragon is the opinion, and is usually best at small doses. Dill is another life line, also best for short periods unless you really want to party. But, together, the group is a perfect blend.

Using herbs in a brave manner, in large quantities, is the best way to eat them - think of tabbouleh, the pile of herbs next to Vietnamese pancakes, delicate women's omelettes. If you don't like this one, skip it and add another: this is your dinner. I, however, are friends with them all.

Tarragon, shallot and cheese tart (pictured above)
Filling and fresh all at once, a slice of this is my dream lunch. I use a mixture of herbs here, about three-quarters soft-flavoured herbs, such as parsley and coriander; the rest tarragon and dill, with their stronger tastes.

Prep 20 min
Chill 40 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 8

For the pastry
250g plain or light spelt flour
1 tsp salt
A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves roughly chopped
125g butter, cold from the fridge
4-6 tbsp ice-cold water
1 egg, beaten

For the filling
Olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
3 large eggs
350ml milk (whole, soy, almond, oat – your choice)
Salt and black pepper
Nutmeg, for grating
150g hard cheese, grated (cheddar, gruyère, comté), plus extra for topping
3 large handfuls soft herbs (about 50g; I use a mixture of tarragon, dill, parsley and coriander), any harder stalks removed and roughly chopped

You can make the pastry either by hand or in a food processor. Start by mixing the flour, salt and thyme, then pulse in the processor or mix with a wooden spoon. Add the butter and either pulse or rub with your fingers until you have a rough breadcrumb consistency. Add the water, drop by drop, pulsing or mixing each time, until the mixture forms a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so.

Once the pastry is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface into a 3mm-thick large disc just wider than a 24cm, loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin. Roll the pastry on to a rolling pin and lay it over the tart tin. Push the pastry into the edges of the tinwith your fingers, then put back in the fridge .

Pop it into the fridge for another 10 minutes if you have the time. Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/gas 7.

Wrap the cake with baking paper and fill in old baked beans, rice or dried beans to weigh it down. No need to cut the sides (I do this at the end, because that way you will make sure your pastries don't shrink). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, remove beans and paper, brush pastries with a little beaten eggs and return to the oven in 10-15 minutes. When it's ready, take it out and leave it in the oven. After cooling, cut the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife so you get a nice flat edge for your cake before you add.

Meanwhile, make filling. Heat a drop of olive oil in a large saucepan, add shallots and cook for eight to 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and sweet. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg into a measuring jar and whisk. Pour the milk, add a pinch of salt and pepper, a nutmeg (about a quarter of the seed) and grated cheese, and mix.

After the chives have cooled, put them in the egg mixture, add the herbs and mix well. Place the tart box on the baking sheet (to avoid leaks), fill the blind box with the filling, and level the top. Bake a generous layer of cheese, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and freshly laid.

Herby salad with crisp garlic

I buy herbs at my local greengrocer, where the bunches are bigger, better and cheaper than in supermarkets. Use whatever soft herbs you have and love here, but be mindful that some – such as dill and tarragon – are much more punchy, so I like to balance them out with milder herbs to make up the bulk of the leaves.

Prep 10 min
Cook 2 min
Serves 4-6

1 large bunch coriander, leaves picked
1 bunch parsley, leaves picked
1 bunch dill, leaves picked
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
1 bunch basil, leaves picked

For the dressing
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 pinch dried red chilli
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
100g skin-on almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Wash the herbs well, then dry them in a salad spinner or by spreading them on clean tea towels. Keep in the fridge until you need them.

For the dressing, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown around the edges. Transfer the crisp garlic to a plate and pour the oil into a heatproof bowl or jug to cool.

Once cool, mix the chilli, lime zest and juice and some salt and pepper into the oil.


When you are ready to eat, dress the herbs, tossing to coat everything, and top with the crisp garlic and almonds.

MW