Winter vegetable slice w/ crunchy almond & black sesame crumb

There is a lot to love about winter vegetables. Pumpkin is on high rotation at our table and I adore the dark leafy greens that are about now. Silverbeet (or chard depending on what part of the world you live in) is a hugely underrated vegetable. Kale is a more fashionable green but I find silverbeet incredibly versatile and it's impossible to resist the huge $1 bunches that are at my weekly green market. I like to separate it from the stem and use just the leaves.

This winter vegetable slice is a scrumptious lunch or light dinner. Loaded with flavour, it stores beautifully in the fridge and is delicious hot or cold. The almond and sesame seed crust on top adds satisfying texture and thanks to the addition of only buckwheat flour it's entirely gluten free. I love the salty bite that the parmesan gives but if you prefer dairy free it will still be tasty.

Feel free to customise. Add your favourite herbs or play around with spices — this is a wonderfully versatile recipe.

It's hard to believe we're halfway through the year already isn't it? The 1st of June really caught me by surprise. It made me stop and think "Am I working hard enough to make my goals and dreams for this year happen?". This midway point has been a nice reminder to stop and evaluate where I'm at. I've already been so blessed this year with great opportunities, meeting amazing people and continuing to watch my charming daughter grow and learn. 

So some new goals have been set and I'm feeling pumped to use winter as a time to make some great creative stuff happen.

I hope the rest of your week treats you well. x

2 cups grated pumpkin (or carrot)

3-4 cloves garlic finely diced

1 spring onion - finely chopped

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 free range eggs - lightly beaten

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

handful herbs - parsley, thyme or parsley (whatever you prefer or a mixture)

3 large leaves silverbeet or chard (can also use equivalent in kale or spinach)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tsp sesame seeds (black or white - I use a mixture)

3 Tbsp (approx) almond meal / ground almonds for sprinkling on top 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius

Place all the ingredients (except the silverbeet) in a large bowl and mix until very well combined.

Separate the silverbeet leaves from the stems and slice into ribbons. Use your hands to massage the leaves for a minute or so. You are doing this to soften the leaves and make them easier to combine with the egg mixture.

Combine everything together in the large bowl and stir to make sure the greens are evenly mixed through.

Pour into a lined tin. I used a rectangle dish measuring approximately 15 x 30 cm. A square or round tin would work well too.

Use your hands to push the mixture down evenly into the dish. Spend a minute doing this. You want the egg to be evenly distributed through the vegetables.

Sprinkle the top generously with the ground almonds / almond meal (approx 3 Tbsp - or more) and then 2-3 tsp of sesame seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. Keeps wonderfully in the fridge for up to 3 days.