savory kale and leek tart

I love the word savory. It just sounds good. Buttery, flaky, salty, spicy, yum. For those of you who are gluten-free and love savory, this recipe is for you. When my friend Elea and I first made this tart, we were amazed at how good the crust was. Not that we had ill faith in GF tart crusts, but the chances of any GF crust being flaky are pretty slim. Crumbly, yes. Flaky, no. Until now.

Although I used kale in this particular recipe, any greens would work - chard, beet greens, broccoli rabe, mustard greens. Use your imagination. Hell, add whatever you want to this recipe. If all else fails, the crust will be phenomenal. Mike and I literally fought over the last piece. I won. HA!

Another awesome thing about this recipe - no casein! I sub ghee for butter and coconut milk for cream. Life is full of guilty pleasures after all....

So stop by the Santa Barbara Farmers Market this week, pick up some greens and garlic from Fairview Gardens, eggs from Lily's, almonds from Fat Uncle Farms, leeks from Tutti Frutti Farms, and a few staple items from your fave SB natural food store.

Turn on your oven, put on your sweats, curl up on the couch, and enjoy a slice (or two) of this delectable comfort food, and enjoy the fact that you are enjoying a sinfully [nutrient-dense] treat.

savory kale and leek tart
serves 6

tart crust
1/2 cup cold ghee or pastured butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
1/2 tsp celtic mineral sea salt
1 large egg
1 tbsp ice water
1/4 cup almond meal*
1/4 cup (gluten-free) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
ghee for pie pan

tart filling
1 large bunch kale or chard, finely chopped
3-4 medium leeks, white part only, sliced thin
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ice water
1 tbsp butter or ghee
celtic mineral sea salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole coconut milk, whole raw milk or homemade nut milk

Prepare the tart crust. In a food processor, add butter/ghee and salt and process until smooth. Add egg, water, almond meal and all-purpose flour and pulse until smooth. Add sorghum flour and pulse until dough forms into a ball.

Scrape dough into a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

While dough is setting, prepare filling. Saute garlic and leek in butter/ghee on medium-low heat until leeks begin to caramelize. Add chopped greens and turn heat up to high. After pan is hot, add 2 tbsp cold water and cover immediately. Flash steam greens for 2 minutes, uncover and stir until excess water evaporates. Do not cook greens for more than 4 minutes total.

Transfer sauteed greens and leeks into a large bowl. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from fridge and press evenly into a lightly oiled pie pan, using a spoon if needed (dough may be sticky, especially if using GF flour). Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, beat cream and eggs. Add mixture to greens and season lightly with sea salt. Mix to combine. Spread evenly in pie shell. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tart is just set.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Prepare almond meal by putting equivalent amount whole, raw almonds in food processor and grind it down until it reaches the consistency of flour.