Kale, Preserved Lemon and Pine Nut Tart

Maggie”s Tip: If you can’t get kale, use the same amount of silver beet (Swiss chard) instead; blanch it for 3–4 minutes, and cut down the currants to ½ cup (80 g), soaking them in ¼ cup (60 ml) Verjuice.

Soak the currants in ½ cup (125 ml) of the Verjuice overnight to soften.
Alternatively, place the currants and verjuice in a microwave-safe container and microwave on low for 4 minutes, then set aside for 20 minutes to reconstitute.

Wrap the sour-cream pastry in plastic film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180°C (200°C). Place the pine nuts on a baking tray and roast for 6–7 minutes or until golden, checking them frequently to make sure they don’t burn. Remove and set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan-forced (220°C). Grease a 24 centimetre tart tin with a removable base. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured bench until 2–3 millimetres thick, then use to line the tart tin. Cut off the excess pastry around the edge, leaving 5 millimetres to allow for shrinkage as it cooks (freeze the offcuts for another use). Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Prick the pastry base with a fork, then line with foil, fill with pastry weights and blind bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry looks dry. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan-forced (200°C).

Meanwhile, blanch the kale in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5–10 minutes or until softened (the cooking time will depend on how coarse the kale is).
Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle, then squeeze excess water from the leaves and roughly chop.

Melt the butter with the Oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, over low–medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened. Increase the heat to high, then add the remaining verjuice and cook, stirring, until the verjuice has evaporated.

Transfer this mixture to a food processor, add the chopped kale and any remaining liquid and blend to a puree.

Place the kale puree, currants, pine nuts and Preserved Lemon in a large bowl and stir until well combined.

In a small jug, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, salt and pepper, then stir into the kale mixture.

Carefully pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for 35 minutes or until just set in the centre.

Serve straightaway scattered with a few extra pine nuts.

Maggie Beer
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