Recipe: Pear, Caramelized Onion, Walnut & Stilton Tart + The Monastery Method

Pear, Caramelized Onion, Walnut & Stilton Tart

Several years ago, I found myself standing at the entrance to Thikse, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Indian Himalayas. My mother had died unexpectedly a few months earlier. I was looking for something I couldn't name. A young monk in burgundy robes gestured for me to follow him to the kitchen, where the morning fire was already burning. He handed me a wooden paddle and showed me how to stir the massive pot of butter tea. We didn't share a language, but we shared the fire, the stirring, the simple, ritualistic task performed the same way it had been performed for centuries.

That trip was the beginning of a journey that would take me to over a dozen monasteries, temples, and spiritual communities across four continents. The research became two cookbooks: Elysian Kitchens for W.W. Norton and Eat Like A Monk for Simon & Schuster. But the wisdom I gathered went far beyond recipes.

What the Monks Taught Me

The practitioners I met weren't escaping the world. They were paying deep attention to it. They had rituals that anchored their days. They ate with presence. They rested without guilt. They worked with their hands. They welcomed strangers. They found joy in simplicity. And they'd been doing this through wars, plagues, famines, and political upheaval for centuries.

When I started teaching workshops based on this research, for Fortune 500 companies, libraries, and community groups, I realized people weren't just interested in the stories. They were looking for the practices. The same questions came up again and again: How do I stay grounded when everything feels chaotic? How do I build routines that actually stick? How do I find meaning when the world feels like it's falling apart?

The Monastery Method

This Is Why I Created The Monastery Method

I distilled everything I've learned from the monks into a 30-day guide: The Monastery Method: 30 Days of Ancient Practices for Modern Living.

It's organized into four weeks:

• Foundations (morning rituals, eating with attention, simplicity, gratitude, rest)

• Nourishment (food as medicine, wasting nothing, preservation, movement, cooking for others)

• Connection (hospitality, listening, service, forgiveness, sacred meals)

• Integration (resilience, joy, generosity, designing your own sustainable practice)

Each day includes a story from my travels, the principle behind the practice, concrete steps to try, and reflection questions. It's not religious instruction. It's not wellness fluff. The practices are grounded in tradition, history, and science, and most require around 15 minutes per day. I also included 14 recipes from my cookbooks and downloadable worksheets to help you design your own path forward.

Thirty days is long enough to establish a morning ritual that anchors your day. Long enough to change how you relate to food, rest, and the people around you. Long enough to discover that the peace you've been seeking isn't somewhere else. It's available right here, in the ordinary moments you've been rushing past.

GET THE MONASTERY METHOD →

A Monastery Kind of Tart

The recipe below reflects the practices in The Monastery Method. This is the kind of dish I make when I want to gather people around a table without spending the whole day in the kitchen. It starts with a single sheet of puff pastry and becomes something that feels special without a lot of effort. The onions caramelize slowly, the pears soften as they bake, the Stilton adds just enough richness and depth without overwhelming. Fresh thyme. A scattering of walnuts. Cut it into six pieces. Set it in the middle of the table. Invite people to gather.

This is monastery cooking to me: not austere, not complicated, but intentional. Food that asks you to slow down long enough to let the onions caramelize. Food that assumes you'll share it.

Read the full post about this recipe and The Monastery Method on my Substack Newsletter What's Good Here →

Pear, Caramelized Onion, Walnut, and Stilton Puff Pastry Tart

Makes 1 large tart (serves 6) Prep Time: 45 minutes

This is the kind of food I return to again and again when I want something that feels both comforting and celebratory without causing me too much trouble. It's something meant to be shared. A single sheet of puff pastry becomes a generous tart, cut into six pieces and set in the middle of the table. The sweetness of caramelized onions and pears, the subtle robustness of toasted walnuts, and the salty depth of Stilton come together in a way that feels fortifying without being heavy.

It's simple to prepare, but it asks for presence: time to let the onions soften and deepen in flavor, to layer thoughtfully, to gather people and pause long enough to eat together. This is the kind of dish I think about when I think about the monasteries. It's not austerity, but nourishment; not complexity, but intention. Food that steadies you, that holds warmth, that reminds you to slow down and share what you have.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet (225g/8oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed

• 2 tbsp (30ml) unsalted butter

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 2 medium pears, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 40g (1½oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

• 75g (2½oz) Stilton cheese, crumbled (or whatever cheese you prefer)

• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp cold water

• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

• Freshly cracked black pepper, for finishing

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the puff pastry sheet to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a 2cm (¾ inch) border around the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Prick the center all over with a fork. Refrigerate while you prepare the toppings.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, deeply golden, and caramelized, about 25–30 minutes. Reduce the heat if they begin to color too quickly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Assemble the tart. Spread the caramelized onions evenly over the center of the puff pastry, staying within the scored border. Arrange the pear slices on top in even rows. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, followed by the chopped walnuts. Crumble the Stilton over the tart, allowing space for the other flavors to come through.

Brush the border of the puff pastry with the egg wash for a golden finish.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden and the pears are tender. Rotate the pan halfway through if needed for even browning.

Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5–10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cut into six pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

This tart is best enjoyed the day it's made, shared slowly, preferably with people you trust and time you've intentionally kept open.

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