Delicious hot or cold, this is great for a casual dinner with friends or a day-trip to the countryside.
MAKES A 23 CM (9 IN) ROUND TART OR 5 – 6 INDIVIDUAL SMALLER TARTS
SHOPPING LIST
For the crust:
125 g (4 oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for rolling
½ teaspoon sea salt
50 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) olive oil
4 tablespoons small seeds, such as hemp, sesame, poppy
For the filling:
olive oil
3 shallots (or 2 small white onions), peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) assorted mushrooms
juice of 1 lemon
225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) cooked white beans or 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup)
plant-based yoghurt of your choice
3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon dried lovage, if available, otherwise a sprinkling of powdered vegetable stock
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, peeled large handful of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley additional fresh herbs of your choice (basil, rosemary, thyme and sage all work wonderfully)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste a handful of toasted pine nuts, to serve leafy greens or salad, to serve
YOU NEED TO…
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
To make the crust, place the flour, salt and oil in a bowl and mix with a fork until the ingredients are combined but the mixture is still crumbly. Add the seeds and stir just to combine.
Slowly add 4 tablespoons of water, stirring after each addition, until the mixture sticks together. How much water you require will usually vary depending on the humidity that day. Lightly knead into a ball in the bowl and then place the ball on a floured surface.
Press the ball into a circle with your fingertips. Flip and roll flat with a lightly floured rolling pin, then continue to flip and roll again, dusting the top with a little flour each time, until your crust looks big enough to fit in your pie dish or cake tin and go up the side a little. (I prefer to use a cake tin because I like the aesthetic of the edge it produces, and it is a lot easier to clean than a regular pie dish).
Gently lift the crust into your pie dish or cake tin. Press the crust into shape with your fingers. Fix any broken bits in place by overlapping slightly and pressing to combine the edges. Prick holes in the crust using a fork. Blind bake for 20 minutes while preparing the filling.
To make the filling, lightly cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and place over a medium heat. Finely chop the shallots (or onions) and add to the pan with the salt. Cook until they are soft and transparent.
While the shallots are cooking, roughly chop the mushrooms into small pieces and set aside. Add the lemon juice and all of the mushrooms to the pan. Stir until the mushrooms begin to shrink and release liquid. While the mushrooms are cooking, drain and rinse the white beans, if using, and blend them into a smooth paste.
Once the mushrooms are soft and cooked, add the flour and spices in two batches, stirring to combine after each addition. Add the puréed beans or yoghurt, chopped garlic, fresh herbs and black pepper. Stir some more, making sure to scrape the spoon to remove any stuck-on floury, mushroomy, spicy goodness.
Pour the filling into the crust and top with the toasted pine nuts. Bake for 30–40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve the tart on its own, with leafy greens or a green salad.
