Green ‘n Bean Tart

Versatility is good.

Some of my favorite foods are also the most versatile ones; eggs, yogurt, muffins, cheese, greens, oats.  Each one has a multitude of uses and they can stand on their own or easily incorporate into a dish.  Be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, there is a place for these foods!

This tart is the same way.

It’s a quiche. No, it’s a pastel.  No, it’s a savory pie.  I suppose that, like most versatile foods, it can be whatever you want. 😉 I want a tart.

Green ‘n Bean Tart

Makes many servings but the exact number I hesitate to say.  Is it a snack? Main course? Appetizer?  I’ll just give it a range of 4-8 servings.

Pre-heat the oven to 360*

Equipment needed: sautee pan, cutting board, knife, parchment or silpat, baking sheet, rolling pin, stirring spoon

• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons butter or coconut oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 big handfuls of cooking greens, chopped (I used the last of our garden collards and some dandelion from the yard.  Kale or swiss chard would be perfect also.)
• 1 cup cooked and drained white beans of some kind (I used large lima beans but baby lima, cannellini, or great northern would be perfect as well.)
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
• 3 eggs
• 1 recipe whole wheat pie crust

1. in a large sautee pan, heat the butter or oil over medium heat and add the onions
2. slowly cook the onions until they are translucent, stirring occasionally
3. add the garlic and chopped greens and stir occasionally until the greens wilt
4. turn off the heat and add the beans
5. remove from heat and let mixture cool for several minutes (so as not to cook the egg when it’s added)
6. add cheese, salt and pepper, and eggs
7. stir vigorously until the eggs are beaten and incorporated into the mixture
8. roll out your pie crust on a piece of parchment paper, forming a large thin circle
9. move the parchment and crust to a baking sheet
10. pile the green/bean mixture into the center of the crust
11. fold the sides of the crust up around edges of the mixture
12. bake for about 25 minutes or until the center is set and the crust starts to brown
13. eat hot or cold!

My pie crust was delicious but a little crumbly.  It made for a very rustic tart.

If you don’t eat wheat/grains you could make the filling and then bake it in muffin tins without a crust.  You really could.

This tart can stand alone as a balanced meal.  It’s full of protein, fiber, whole grains, greens, all the good stuff.

I ate my first serving with a side of roasted carrots but it was just as good as a cold leftover the next day.

Beans should totally be added to my earlier list of versatile foods.  Did you know some people have been known to put them in brownies?  I’m kind of shocked that I haven’t tried that one yet….

What’s your favorite versatile food?