Blueberry, rosemary & walnut toffee tart

Lauren Lovatt is a vegan chef and a pioneer in the mood food movement, who specialises in plant-based meals to nourish both body and soul. This tart is from her cookbook Mind Food. "There is nothing better than a fresh juicy blueberry, grown in season", says Lauren. "Paired with omega-rich walnuts and rosemary, this blueberry frangipane-filled tart is quite the treat."

Ingredients

For the pastry

200g	chickpea flour
200g	tapioca flour
2 Tbsp	maca root powder
100g cold plant-based butter or coconut oil	cold plant-based butter or coconut oil
50g	olive oil
20g	rapadura or coconut sugar
1 Tbsp	chopped rosemary
¼ tsp	pink Himalayan salt

For the blueberry jam

200g	fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp	maple syrup

For the walnut frangipane

Scant ½ cup	plant-based butter
100g	rapadura or organic caster sugar
100ml	aquafaba (chickpea water)
250g	walnuts, finely ground into a flour
3 Tbsp	buckwheat flour
1	lemon, zest only
½ tsp	baking powder
To serve	fresh blueberries, bee pollen (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/Gas 6). Lightly grease a tart tin.
2. For the pastry: Mix the flours with the maca in a large bowl and then add the butter or coconut oil. Lightly rub the flour and butter between your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the middle of the breadcrumbs and add the oil, sugar, rosemary salt and 1 tablespoon of water. Bring the pastry together with your hands. Add another tablespoon of water as needed and a smooth dough should form. When there are no breadcrumbs left, combine the dough into a large ball, then place it onto a floured surface and roll it out to 4mm thick.
4. Lightly grease a 30cm tart tin with a removable base. Carefully place the pastry into the greased tin. It might crack slightly and if so, simply fix any cracks with the pastry offcuts. Prick the pastry with a fork a few times to prevent it from rising, and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden, then remove from the oven briefly and meanwhile make the fillings.
5. For the blueberry jam: Place the blueberries and maple syrup in a saucepan over a low heat and simmer for 5 minutes until they are slightly caramelised. Set aside.
6. 6. For the walnut frangipane: To make the walnut frangipane, cream the butter and sugar together in bowl with a whisk. Fold through the aquafaba, walnuts, flour, lemon zest and baking powder to form a reasonably thick, well combined mixture.
7. 7. Place half of the blueberries evenly across the base, followed by the walnut frangipane. Bake the filled tart for a further 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool, then cut into slices and top with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of bee pollen, if using, for a wonderful afternoon boost.

Edited extract from Mind Food by Lauren Lovatt, published by Ivy Press. Photography by Sara Kiyo Popowa. RRP $45