PINE NUT & KALE TARTE

Reminds us of sojourning in the French-Spanish Borderland (Best Kept Secrets sojourn)

Your favorite savory pie crust dough

5 eggs

a splash of milk

a bunch of Lacinato/Dinosaur Kale

a handful of pine nuts

parmesan cheese

1 clove of garlic

salt and pepper

a dash of olive oil

While visiting a Texan friend living in France, I learned my favorite kale recipe: a sort of quiche.  I probably don’t make it exactly like she does.  In fact, I don’t really make it exactly the same each time myself. The quantities of ingredients change according to what I have on hand, or what happens to feel right on that particular day.  For example, the day I took this picture I had to use mustard greens instead of kale simply because that’s what was ready for harvest in my garden.  Regardless, the combination of flavors and textures always thrills me: flaky butter crust with a soft eggy center peppered with the chewy tang of kale, crunchy nutty pignoli and that umami of the roast cheese.  Just describing it makes me feel like making it for dinner tonight!  Thanks Lacy!

DIRECTIONS: Prepare the pie dough in a shallow pie tin.  Remove the rib from the kale, wash it and set it aside wet. In a broad pan with a good lid on high heat, sauté the crushed garlic and pine nuts very briefly in olive oil until fragrant and just beginning to brown.  Throw the wet kale on top of the garlic and pignoli and quickly cover with the lid.  Wilt the kale (turning once if necessary).  Wisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Place the kale mixture on the pie dough in the tin and pour the egg mixture evenly over it.  Then quickly grate cheese over the top.  Cook at 385 for 30-50 minutes (until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and a knife comes out clean).  The time varies according to the thickness and amount of moisture in the kale.