Kale and leek tart

Spring is finally here! The weather is warming up and the sun is shining plus I am on holidays, so much to celebrate. So to start the celebrations I decided to make Kev and I a delicious Sunday lunch. Usually we go out for lunch or brunch on a Sunday, but we have a lovely table in our backyard that we hadn't used it yet due to the weather, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity for a sunny Sunday lunch. 

I decided to make a tart, as it is both lunch and brunch option and I had been up for several hours and Kev was just rolling out of bed. I made this particular tart a few weeks ago when my sister and her husband came over for dinner to celebrate her finishing her university degree. Last time I made it as one large tart but today I felt like individual tarts, since they are very cute, both options worked well. Today I served it with a simple spinach, basil and artichoke salad, but any side of veggies would be lovely.

I have wanted to try using silken tofu as a binder in tarts for a while, I have always been concerned that it would leave a "beany" after taste to the tart. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the tofu didn't add any flavor at all but held the ingredients together well enough to bake with out pastry, which is a great gluten free option. 

On that topic, please don't be put off by the pastry. You of course can use shop pastry (I promise I wont judge) but this pastry is so quick and so easy it is nothing to be afraid of. Plus it is much, much tastier and healthier than anything loaded with palm oil you will buy in the supermarket. Give it a go, you will be surprised at how quickly everything comes together.

Ingredients (Makes one large tart or 6 small)

 
Filling
1 bunch of kale washed and roughly chopped
1 packet of silken tofu
1 large leek diced and rinsed well
¼ tsp each of dried thyme, basil and oregano (can use fresh if available)
2 x tbsp of nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
1 x tbsp of mustard
10 x cheery tomatoes (give or take a few)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pastry
1 ½ cups of spelt flour
70ml of olive oil
60ml of cold water

Process 

Begin by making your pastry. Put all the pastry ingredients in the food processor and blend until dough starts to form, if too dry add extra olive oil. The dough is ready to use as soon as it has formed. Feel the mixture, if it is too dry add more oil a little at a time, if it is too wet add a little more flour. Roll out the dough and place in a tart tin.  Bake blind in a oven set at 180 degrees for 20mins. Meanwhile make the tart filling. Cook leek in a large pan with some olive oil until soft, add a generous pinch of salt and some pepper.  Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add herbs and mustard and cook for another minute or two. Transfer mixture to a food processor or use a barmix to blend mixture. Add tofu and blend again, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Put mixture into blind baked pastry. Press cherry tomatoes into top to decorate. Bake for 20-30mins at 180 degrees or until slightly browned on top. Take out of the oven and allow to cook for 10mins before cutting up or removing from tin and enjoying. 

Note from my sister: Try and save a piece of tart for the next day if you can, I'm told it gets better the next day!