Almond Rhubarb Tart

We had a good rhubarb harvest this year and next to some savory meals we also made this delicious tart with an almond crust. We like our rhubarb stalks to be red and the temperature has a lot to do with the red-ness of the stalks. Also, removing the old stalks over the winter helps as well as a bit of wood ash.

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

for the almond crust:

• 1¼ cups AP flour
• ½ cup almond meal (flour)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• few drops almond extract
• ½ cup non-dairy margarine
• 3-5 tablespoons icy water

for the rhubarb curd:

• 1 pound rhubarb stalks, cleaned, leaves removed and trimmed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy margarine

Directions:

to make the crust:

1. In a large bowl, or food processor combine flour, almond meal, salt, baking powder and sugar.
2. Cut in the non-dairy margarine either with knives, fingers or pulsing with the food processor.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of icy water and blend.If the mixture is still too dry, add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of icy water.
4. Blend the mixture into a ball warp and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1/2 an hour.

to make the rhubarb curd:

1. Clean and cut the rhubarb into 1 inch pieces.
2. Reserve a few pieces to use as garnish.
3. Place all the rest in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover.
4. Cook the rhubarb until it is soft and has fallen apart.
5. At this point it is your choice to strain the rhubarb pulp and only use the juice, which will result in a clear very light pink curd or you can puree the mixture using a blender. I used an immersion blender to blend the pulp into a light pink opaque mixture.
6. You will want to use 2 cups of the mixture.
7. Add the sugar, lemon zest and coconut milk and continue cooking, stirring to keep the mixture from scorching.
8. Mix the cornstarch and water and add to the mixture.
9. Taste the mixture, you may want it a bit sweeter therefor add a bit more sugar. We enjoy the rhubarb a bit on the tart side.
10. When it becomes thick and the cornstarch cleared, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

to make the tart:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F / 205°C.
2. Spray your tart pan with cooking oil.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured workspace.
4. Place the dough in the tart pan.
5. Prick the bottom with a fork in many places.
6. Add a piece of baking parchment and fill with bean, or rice in order to blind bake the crust.
7. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the edge of the crust is light golden brown.
8. When done remove from the oven, allow to cool,
9. Remove the baking parchment and beans or rice.
10. If removing the crust it from the tart pan is a problem, serve it in the form.
11. Take the few pieces of rhubarb that you saved as garnish and poach them shortly in lightly sweeten water. It will only be a couple of minutes to soften the rhubarb. You don’t want it to fall apart.
12. When the tart crust has cooled, pour the rhubarb curd in the form and place the rhubarb pieces on top. Cool in the refrigerator before serving. Depending on how cool or warm the curd is, the tart will be firm and cut in clean slices.
13. Optionally you can also place a dollop of whipped non-dairy topping on the tart slices.