Filo Pastry, Haloumi and Spring Vegetable Tarts
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
These can be made as six individual tarts, but I love the look of a whole tray. You can use other vegetables and also top each one with a stem-on cherry tomato before cooking.
INGREDIENTS
150 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250 grams cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 x #7 eggs (large)
3 tablespoons purchased basil pesto
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
6 spears asparagus, sliced on the diagonal
80 grams haloumi cheese
sea salt and ground pepper
6 sheets filo pastry
olive oil spray
28cm x 18cm metal baking dish, greased and lined fully with baking paper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Beat the cream cheese, cumin and garlic until light and airy. Season with salt and pepper then beat in the cottage cheese, eggs and pesto. The mixture will not be smooth.
Spray one sheet of filo with oil then place another sheet on top. Repeat spraying and layering with the remaining 4 sheets. Cut into 6 even rectangles. Fold in a 2cm border around each rectangle then place in the tin, unfolding the sides and nestling them into the tin, side by side. Spoon the cheese mixture into the tarts.
Top with the zucchini and asparagus then grate the haloumi over the top of each one, along with a grind of pepper.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is set. Serve hot or warm. Makes 6 tarts

Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
Issue #120
As the days become shorter, and the nights cooler, the latest issue is perfectly timed to deliver delicious autumn dishes. From recipes using fresh seasonal produce such as feijoas and apples, to spectacular soothing soups and super-quick after-work meals in our Food Fast section, we’ve got you covered. With Easter on the horizon, we feature recipes that will see you through breakfast, lunch and dinner over a leisurely weekend holiday, and whip up chocolatey baking treats sure to please. We round up delicious dinners for two and showcase a hot new Korean cookbook before heading south to Dunedin to check out all that’s new in food and dining.The latest issue of dish is on sale NOW at all good bookstores and supermarkets – don’t miss it!