Artichoke, goat's cheese and asparagus tartlets

Method

1. Prepare the artichokes - trim the artichoke bases, and trim the points off the leaves. Rub the artichokes with a little of the lemon juice to stop them discolouring.

2. Put the prepared artichokes in a saucepan with the tomato juice, white wine, olive oil, a splash of lemon juice and seasoning. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the artichoke bases are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool in the tomato mixture.

3. Cut the asparagus tips into 2.5cm lengths. Put a small pan of water on to boil and blanch the tips for 1 minute, before refreshing under cold water. Drain and set aside.

4. Cut the bacon into small 1cm dice and fry until crisp, adding the chopped shallot half way through.

5. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.

6. Beat the egg and milk together and season. Take the artichoke bases out of the liquid and rinse under warm water. Pat them dry, and take off any remaining leaves. Scoop out the furry choke inside the artichoke and neaten the edges of the base with a sharp knife. Brush them lightly with oil and place on a baking sheet.

7. Start to build the tartlets - crumble a little goat's cheese over each artichoke base, sprinkle with the bacon mix and add the asparagus tips.

8. Spoon in the egg mix to fill the artichoke bases. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set. Serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves.