It’s a sad fact that returning from a trip abroad is always a bit of a downer – the mundanity of unpacking, washing your smalls and returning to the daily grind, not to mention the unpredictable English weather. But when your suitcase is full of enticing things to eat, it certainly makes easing back into real life a lot more pleasant.

I’ve just returned from a press trip to Tuscany at the invitation of EAT (European Art of Taste), an umbrella organisation dedicated to the promotion of denomination-controlled Tuscan food and drink, specifically cheeses, cured meats, Chianti Classico wines and Chianti olive oils.

I’ll return to this in a later post as I thought the lovely medieval city of Siena was the perfect base for a long foodie weekend and I’d like to share some of my experiences, including visiting Pecorino and prosciutto manufacturers, a wine and olive oil producer and a local cookery school. Watch this space.

But back to today’s recipe. I was given some hefty wedges of Pecorino Toscano (less aggressive than Pecorino Romano) by Caseificio Sociale Manciano, both a young cheese and a more mature one. While you can eat these as table cheeses, they are equally good as cooks’ ingredients and as I came home to a garden full of asparagus (and the chives needed a haircut), I brought them all together in this easy-to-make tart.

I used ready-made puff pastry. A block is better for this recipe than a pre-rolled sheet, and home-made rough-puff would be even better, but I’m all for an easy life.

I thought of adding some ripped prosciutto to the top, but it really doesn’t need it, as the flavours of cheese and asparagus speak for themselves. I like it best still warm.