Rhubarb and Walnut Tart

DESSERT

Easy on tummy: very

Budget: medium

Dairy free, Gluten free

Ingredients:

• Ground almonds - sprinkle to taste
• 25g crushed walnuts
• a few raspberries (optional)

For the rhubarb syrup:

• 250g rhubarb (around 2 stalks)
• 3 tbsp muscavado or demerera sugar
• 1/2 lemon squeezed (few swigs of lemon juice alternatively)
• 150 ml water

For the crostata pastry:

• 100g (3/4 cup)of unbleached plain flour
• 65 g (1/2 cup) wholemeal flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 70g (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
• ice cold water if needed

Method of preparation:

For the rhubarb filling: 

Chop off the rhubarb's ends and chop the stalk in thirds or quarters. Please note: if you are using fresh-off-the-garden rhubarb, make sure you discard of the leaves as they contain cyanide and are highly poisonous.

Place the water, sugar and lemon juice in a pot and slowly bring up the heat. When the sugar is dissolved, add the rhubarb and gently boil on medium heat for 5 minutes. This should be plenty of time. Rhubarb is stringy - do not cut it along the stalk (like I had the misfortune of doing) or it will go everywhere/expand once boiled. Leave the rhubarb to sit in its syrup for at least an hour.

For the crostata pastry:

In a large bowl add the flours and salt and stir with a spoon. Add the oil and mix in well, then add the maple syrup. Start working the dough until it looks homogenous without overworking it. If it is too dry, slowly add the cold water (1 tbsp at a time) until you get the right consistency. 

Shape the dough in a circular form with a rolling pin, cover and place in fridge for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. 

Sprinkle the ground almonds on top of the dough. Spoon the rhubarb filling mixed with the crushed walnuts onto the pastry, you can ad raspberries as well if available. Leave 4cm perimeter around the edge. Gently fold the border over the filling so that the rhubarb does not overspill. You can brush extra maple syrup on the crostata pastry. 

Bake for 25-30 mins. When you take it out of the oven, let it cool well before slicing and serving. 

Buon appetito!

For the curious ones:

Rhubarb is rich in vitamin K and a cup of chopped rhubarb contains nearly half of your daily value.

The 'K' is a short for the Danish word 'koagulere' which refers to the vitamin's properties in helping blood coagulation/ clotting.

Vitamin K also enhances the bones' ability to form and repair. 

Vitamin K2 assists the body in keeping calcium in the bones. 

Vitamin K benefits the liver, the arteries and heart.