THERE aren’t many of us that don’t need to up our vegetable intake. With March graciously accepting the title of Veggie Month, courtesy of Animal Aid, there’s no better time to use our imaginations, and eat more veg.

Vegetable tarts are often overlooked but they make a delicious meal for veggies and meat eaters alike. To keep on the virtuous, five-a-day note, serve with a crisp green salad and a dash of French dressing.

Try this recipe for an Aubergine, Feta and Poppy Seed Tart (four-six guests). In South India, aubergines go by the name of brinjal, or "King of vegetables" and are a real delicacy. Here, their flavour is complimented by the cool creaminess of the feta cheese.

For the pastry: 40g (2oz) roasted poppy seeds, 175g (6oz) plain flour, ½ tsp salt, 90g (3oz) butter cut into cubes and one egg, beaten.

For the filling: three aubergines cut into discs 1 cm (½ in) thick, olive oil, 4 tbsp tomato sauce (recipe below), 110g (4oz) feta cheese, crumbled.

For the sauce: 25g (1oz) semi- sundried tomatoes, one onion, peeled and finely diced, 35 ml (1 fl oz) olive oil, three large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, one 400g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes, ½ glass of red wine, a pinch of sugar, ½ bunch basil, chopped.

For the sauce, first gently sauté the onions in the olive oil until opaque. Add the garlic, cook for one minute and then add the chopped tomatoes, wine, sugar and some seasoning. Cook over a low heat until reduced in volume by two thirds. Stir in the tomatoes, basil and check the seasoning.

For the pastry, combine the poppy seeds, flour and salt in a bowl and then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bind together with the egg – you may need to add a little cold water, too. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for one hour.

Roll out the pastry and use to line a rectangular tart tin 32 x 10cm (12½ x 4in) then bake blind.

Lightly brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and char- grill on each side until browned and tender. Spread the tomato sauce over the base of the pastry case, sprinkle with the feta and arrange the aubergine slices on top. Bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F/ Gas mark 4).

Serve hot or cold.

Next up is a Caramelised Onion and Three Cheese Tart. Here, the cheeses beautifully soak up the depth of sweet flavour that caramelised onions bring to any dish.

For the short crust pastry: 225g (8oz) plain flour, 150g (5oz) butter, diced, ½ tsp salt, one to two egg yolks. For the filling: four eggs and five egg yolks, mixed together, 900 ml (30 fl oz) double cream, 110g (4oz) Pecarino cheese, grated, 100g (4oz) Emmental cheese, 110g (4oz) parmesan, bunch of sage.

For the caramelised onions – 6 tbsp olive oil, 2.2 kg (4½ lb) onions, peeled and thickly sliced, 2 tbsp caster sugar, 125 ml (4 fl oz) cider, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar.

First make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt then mix to a dough with the egg yolks and a little cold water in necessary. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for20-30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a deep 28cm (11in) loose- bottomed flan tin. Bake blind.

For the caramelised onions, heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook gently for 20 minutes, without colouring. Add the caster sugar, raise the heat and cook until the onions caramelise. Add the cider vinegar and simmer, uncovered over a moderate heat for one hour. Stir occasionally and remember that at the end it will begin to get sticky. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk the eggs and egg yolks with cream and season. Sprinkle over the cheeses, cover with the onions and scatter over a handful of sage leaves. Pour in the egg mixture and bake in a pre heated oven (170°C/325 °F/ Gas mark 4) for 30-40 minutes until set. Vegetables in all their glory.