River Cottage

Hugh served this sweet tart with Swiss chard and pine nuts for the end of series party on River Cottage Veg

Serves 8

For the sweet pastry

• 300g plain flour
• 50g icing sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 175g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• About 75ml cold milk (or water)
• A little milk or beaten egg, for brushing

For the filling

• 50g raisins
• 3 tbsp cider brandy
• Leaves from 1kg Swiss chard
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 50g pine nuts, lightly toasted
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 35g caster sugar
• 2 dessert apples (about 250g)
• Icing sugar, to dust

1. For the filling, combine the raisins and brandy in a small bowl and leave to soak for a few hours.

2. For the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and blitz briefly to combine (or sift into a bowl). Add the butter and blitz (or rub in with your fingertips) until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, and enough milk or water to bring the dough together in large clumps. Tip out on to a lightly floured surface and knead lightly into a ball. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Put the chard leaves into a saucepan with just the water that clings to them from washing. Cover the pan and cook over a medium-low heat until the leaves have wilted in their own steam – about 5 minutes. Tip into a colander and leave to drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the liquid from the leaves, then chop them.

4. Combine the chopped chard with the beaten eggs, pine nuts, lemon zest, sugar and raisins, plus their soaking liquid. Grate the apples, avoiding the core, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from them with your hands, then stir these into the mixture too.

5. On a floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry fairly thinly and use to line a loose-bottomed 24cm flan tin. Trim the excess pastry away from the edge. Spread the chard mixture in the pastry case. Brush a little milk or beaten egg around the rim of the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid, place over the tart and press the edge down lightly to seal. Trim off the excess pastry.

6. Make a couple of slits in the pastry lid for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then lift out the tart, keeping it on the tin base, and slide on to a wire rack. Dust the surface generously with icing sugar. Serve warm.