It looks like artichokes are back, so hard to resist. This crumble is composed of five different kinds of vegetables that have a different kind of textures and colors. The more colors the better. I am not “kale obsessed”, it’s just that I bought a huge bag of it, so I need to use it before it turns bad. Spinach or chards would have worked as well.

I kept the crust vegan using olive oil instead of butter, but using butter is fine too. As far as recipes are concerned I am flexible and not a “food nazi”. Sometimes I like to keep dishes vegan, even if I am not a vegan. I love wild mushrooms of any kind, I found this bag of a nice medley and that was perfect.

If you have a bunch of root vegetables, leafy greens and mushrooms and don’t know what to do with them, this crumble would be the solution. You get to eat your five vegetables in a delicious combo.

This can be served with a green salad. I used endives for their slight bitterness which definitely balances out the sweetness of the carrots and yams.

Let’s go green! It’s the color of the future.

For the yams purée

• 1.5 large yams, peeled and cubed
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• vegetable broth
• 1 tbs coconut cream
• salt and pepper

For the mushrooms/kale

• 2 tbs chopped onion
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 pack mixed wild mushrooms
• 3 cups baby kale
• 3 tbs vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

For the artichokes

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1lb baby artichokes
• 2 tbs white wine
• salt and pepper

For the crumble topping

• 60 g (or 1/2 cup) oat flour
• 4 tbs finely chopped walnuts
• 4 tbs oats
• 1/3 cup, olive oil (or butter)
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the yams purée

In a pan, cook yams and carrots with broth at medium heat until the vegetables are tender, have absorbed the liquid and cooked all the way through. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Add coconut cream and mash with a potato masher. Add more broth if too thick.

For the mushrooms/kale

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and broth. Cover with a lid and cook until the mushrooms are cooked and broth absorbed, about 7-10 minutes. Add baby kale and stir until wilted. Adjust with salt and pepper.

For the artichokes

Start trimming the artichokes by removing the “green leaves” all around and trimming the top. All the “green” part of the leaves needs to be removed. The only part that is left is the heart. Cut it in two or in quarters depending on the size of the artichoke. Place artichokes in a bwol filled with cold water and lemon juice, to prevent discoloring. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (do not burn the garlic). Add artichokes, stir well, then add wine, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and cook until artichokes are tender and cooked.

 For the crumble

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the oil (or butter). Add olive oil at the end and using your fingers turn into a crumbly dough with some texture.

In two or three deep dishes, divide the mixtures. Start first with some yams puree, then a layer of the mushrooms/kale and finish with the artichokes. Top with crumble mixture. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.

It seems like the traditional British dessert arrived in France and turned savory. Crumbles are becoming very trendy in France and quite popular, I can understand why, they’re just really delicious. So, yes, we stole it from the British and somehow made some transformations to it. I don’t know much about British cuisine, but I know crumble comes straight from the other side of the Channel.

This is my third post featuring a savory crumble, and I will continue to explore them. Crumbles are so good, most of all very easy to make, and certainly always appreciated among guests. They make wonderful appetizers. I just love to nibble on the crust and dig to get what’s underneath. The goat cheese has melted and infused with the garlicky tomato and eggplant, so you can dip some toasted walnut bread in the juices.

I had taken tons of photos yesterday and for whatever strange reason, when I downloaded them on my computer, they had disappeared from the memory card, and by that time my meal was long gone and digested. I was really disappointed – I still don’t know where the problem came, either from the card or the camera. I Certainly did not want to eat the same dish today and honestly, I am a little tired of carbs, on arrête les féculents, let’s stop the carbs before I turn into a giant noodle!!! I have been eating more pasta and rice than usual, so I figured this crumble would fit perfectly my nutritional needs.

Ingredients for 3-4 individual crumbles

• 5 medium size tomatoes, peeled and seedless, cut in quarters
• 1 small eggplant, sliced crosswise
• 4 tbs goat cheese, crumble
• 2 tbs basil, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the crumble topping

• 4 tbs white flour
• 5 tbs plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1 1/2 tbs almond meal
• 1 tbs parmesan, grated
• 2 oz (or 50 g) butter
• a little salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a pan, add 1 garlic clove chopped, then add tomatoes, cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are starting to become soft but not mushy. In a grill pan, grill eggplant on both sides. You can also sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and broil them under broiler.

Start making crumble topping. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together, then add butter and mix from tip of the fingers to make a crumbly dough.

In individual molds, add tomaotes, eggplant and basil. Top with goat cheese and crumble topping.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 30 minutes or until the top has turned golden.

Serve hot with a green salad.