Savory pumpkin torte with kale

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Pumpkin is unfairly neglected when it comes to savory recipes. It finds its way into pies, cakes, muffins, quick breads, cheesecake, even tiramisu. But I also love it in entrees. I wanted to make something similar to a quiche but without cheese, so I thought that the addition of pumpkin would be ideal. It adds some creamy richness and gives the eggs a silky texture when they're cooked. Crustless quiche can be a bit wimpy, so I added extra eggs, packed it full of veggies, and poured it into a big springform pan for a heartier entree.

I am trying to add more dairy-free entrees, as I realized that so many of my recipes depend upon cheese; do me a favor and please vote in the poll in the right sidebar to let me know if you'd like to see more of these. If you would like, feel free to add 8 oz shredded Comte or Swiss cheese. If you can find AOC Comte, use that, as it is made from raw milk and heavily regulated in terms of diet and grazing area for the cows. If you are using cheese, stir it in after step 4.

SAVORY PUMPKIN TORTE WITH KALE
Makes 8 thick slices

INGREDIENTS

• 9 eggs
• One 15oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• Small bunch (about 4 cups) raw kale, roughly torn off the stems
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 oz (weight) chopped mushrooms such as crimini, oyster, or portobello 
• 1 Tbs dried rosemary
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon*
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Fat of choice for sauteeing (I used ghee, olive or coconut oil would work too)

*Note: You can leave out the cinnamon and ginger if you are not sure how you would like sweet pumpkin pie-type spices in a savory dish. I liked the flavor, but it was definitely a bit unusual and may not be for everyone.

DIRECTIONS

1. Move oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low. Add a bit of oil, then add the onion. Saute until completely caramelized. Remove onion from the pan and set aside.
3. Wipe out the skilled and heat more oil in there over medium high. Add the mushrooms, saute until browned, then set aside with the onions. Heat a bit more oil, add the kale, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until kale is soft. Squeeze it dry in paper towels, then roughly chop.
4. Beat the eggs with the pumpkin, herbs, and spices (I used an electric beater with whisk attachment, but you can do it by hand). Stir in the onion, kale, and mushrooms.
5. Thoroughly grease a large (9" or 10") springform pan. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and there is no jiggle. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then serve warm.

Posted in: eggs