Leek, Spinach & Feta Tart

Set at The Glasshouse

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 45 min · Total: 1 hr · Serves 2 as a main dish with salad

a tart for the long table

Ingredients

• About 250 g ready-rolled puff pastry, forming a rectangle approximately 20 × 25 cm
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 200 g trimmed leeks, washed carefully and thinly sliced
• 100 g baby spinach, washed and drained
• 60 g plain cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 80 g feta, crumbled
• Black pepper, to taste
• A little plain flour for the work surface only if needed
• A simple leafy salad, to serve

Method

1. Check the pastry's storage, handling and baking directions. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan. If the pastry requires a different oven temperature, follow the packet.
2. Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring, until soft without browning heavily. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Cook off excess moisture, then transfer to a sieve if needed and leave to cool until no longer hot.
3. Unroll the pastry onto a lined baking tray. Score a border about 2 cm from the edge without cutting through. Prick the centre with a fork, leaving the border intact.
4. Mix the cream cheese and mustard. Spread a thin layer over the centre of the pastry, staying inside the border.
5. Spread the cooled vegetables over the cream cheese and scatter over the feta. Add black pepper; taste the cooked filling before adding any extra salt, because the cheese and mustard already contribute it.
6. Bake for approximately 25–35 minutes, checking against the pastry directions, until the border is well risen and golden and the underside is cooked and crisp. If necessary, give the base a little longer rather than serving pale, soft pastry.
7. Let the tart settle on the tray for 5 minutes. Cut into two portions and serve warm with salad.

Essy note: A tart for the long table in The Glasshouse, where plates, pots and conversation sometimes compete for the same space. A new companion recipe inspired by the village.

Questions from the Kitchen

Written by Esther

Esther is a photographer and storyteller, and the founder of Essy's Essentials - a seasonal home for stories, rituals, recipes and everyday luxuries.

Published 22 October 2026

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