BEETROOT, GOAT’S CHEESE & WALNUT TART WITH OAT & LINSEED BASE ⁣

Is this recipe gluten free? Not really but kind of...⁣

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Are oats gluten free? ⁣⁣

The term ‘gluten’ is used to describe the parts of wheat, rye, barley and oats that store protein (known as prolamins). The prolamins from each grain are called something different: Wheat – Gliadin; Barley – Hordein; Rye – Secalin; Oats – Avenin.⁣

Most people with Coeliac disease tolerate Avenin present in oats. However, in some people with Coeliac disease oats can trigger an immune response, causing damage to the small bowel.

This is why it’s recommended that if you have Coeliac disease and you want to eat oats you undertake a gastroscopy and small bowel biopsy before and after 3 months of regular oat consumption to ensure they’re safe to eat. ⁣

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Why are some oats labelled gluten free? ⁣⁣

If oats are labeled gluten free it actually means that they are wheat free - or in other words they have not been processed on the same equipment as wheat, rye or barley (e.g. are not contaminated by Gliadin, Hordein or Secalin). ⁣

Can people with gluten intolerance eat oats? ⁣⁣

Absolutely! There is no reason oats shouldn’t be well tolerated by people with gluten intolerance or IBS. In fact they are so rich in fibre that regular consumption of oats can help manage symptoms such as constipation. ⁣

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What’s the take home message? ⁣⁣

If you have Coeliac disease you should only reintroduce oats back into your diet under medical supervision. You should also make sure you choose gluten free (or wheat free) oats so that they are not contaminated by wheat, rye or barley. ⁣

If you are gluten intolerant or have IBS then you can absolutely include oats in your diet. In fact you don’t even need to make sure they’re labelled gluten or wheat free because small amounts of gluten (e.g. from cross contamination) shouldn’t trigger symptoms. ⁣

Tart crust

1 cup / 100 g / rolled oats (or 3/4 cup / 200 ml oat flour)

1/3 cup / 50 g rice flour or gluten free alternative

1/2 cup/ 50 g almond meal

2 tbsp linseeds 

1/2 tsp salt

80 g / 5 tbsp cold butter cut into dices

4 tbsp ice-cold water

Filling

1 bunch beetroots (approx 450 g)

1 red onion, peeled

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh or dried thyme

salt & pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 

2 large bunches beet greens (or 200 g bag baby spinach)

1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup / 140 ml milk of choice (I used full cream cows milk)

100 g goat’s cheese / chèvre

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, torn 

1/3 cup walnuts, lightly crushed 

2 tbsp honey (extra for drizzling) 

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Add rolled oats, almond flour, rice flour, linseeds and sea salt into a food processor and pulse until the oats are the texture of a course flour.

Add the diced butter and pulse a few times until you get really small pieces of butter evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Add the water 1 tbsp at a time and pulse until everything comes together. Try to form a ball with your hands. If it feels crumbly, add 1-2 tbsp extra water. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes has passed, place the dough between two baking papers and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until you got a rough circle, about 5 mm thick.

Carefully transfer it to a 27 cm tart pan. Trim off any excess dough then use a fork to prick it a few times. Blind-bake for 10-20 minutes until firm and starting to brown (this will prevent the crust from getting soggy).

Grate the beetroots coarsely on a box grater or in a food processor.

Cut the onion thinly and place it in a large frying pan over medium heat with EVOO. Cook until soft (5-10 minutes) then add garlic and thyme and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the beet greens (or spinach), apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. When the greens have wilted down take the pan off the heat.

Beat the eggs together with the milk and then add sautéed vegetables, mint leaves and stir to combine.

Arrange the grated beets at the bottom of the tart. Pour the egg and greens mixture over the centre, then crumble over goats cheese. Leave about 2 cm of beetroot untouched towards the edges. 

Scatter over walnut pieces and drizzle with extra honey. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and firm.

Serve with a dollop of thick natural yogurt and some drizzled honey on top.

Original recipe taken from Green Kitchen Stories at https://greenkitchenstories.com/beet-greens-tart/ ;