Mushroom Tartlets with a Socca Crust--A Vegan Thanksgiving Entree

We are so excited to be part of The Gluten-free Vegetarian Thanksgiving event hosted by Sea at the Book of Yum.  I love seeing all of the nourishing, delicious and celebratory dishes that other bloggers are showing off as part of this blog carnival.  I urge you to head over to Book of Yum to see what's on the menu for a fulfilling holiday feast!

I had to think about what I wanted to make, though.  A challenge to be sure.  The tempting choice is to go with a dessert or a side dish.  However, as a vegetarian for over 20 years and a vegan for 8, I know that there's nothing like sitting down to a holiday meal that features an entree that I can eat.  How could I not take the whole challenge on, then?  I set out to create an entree that would be safe for most everyone, had great Thanksgiving flavors, and had some solid nutrition to boot.

These mushroom tartlets feature a socca-based crust.  What is socca you might ask?  It is a bread traditionally from the south of France that is made from chickpea flour, so it is naturally gluten-free and protein-rich.  This take on socca uses the same ingredients, but in a slightly thicker format to provide a base for all of the mushroom loveliness that we put on top.

The secret to creating the holiday flavors in this dish is an olive oil that is infused with fresh herbs.

This herbed oil is then used in the mushroom medley and in the crust.  Yum!

We also shared this recipe as part of Allergy Friendly Friday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekend, please check out the other delicious recipes.

Mushroom Tartlets with a Socca Crust
Makes 6 tartlets


Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
sprig of fresh rosemary
sprig of fresh sage
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced shallots
5-6 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (I used cremini, shitake and button)
1/4 cup while wine
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Infuse olive oil with herbs by heating in a small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant. 
Remove herbs and discard. 
Set aside oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons infused oil in a large skillet or saute pan.
Add shallots and cook one minute.
Add sliced mushrooms
Saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add wine and stir to combine.
Cook until liquid is mostly cooked down.  You should be able to separate mushrooms into piles using a spoon or a spatula without liquid running together.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove mushrooms from heat and set aside.
Make chickpea flour by grinding chickpeas until it becomes a fine flour in the food processor.
Sift flour through a mesh sieve, regrinding hard bits. 
Scoop out 1 cup of the sifted flour.  Use remaining flour for another purpose.
In a medium bowl, whisk together chickpea flour and salt.
Mix in oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of infused olive oil.  Use a whisk to ensure a smooth batter.
Preheat broiler.
Liberally oil a muffin tin with infused olive oil.
Heat oil and pan in the heated oven/broiler for a couple of minutes or until very hot.
Remove pan from oven/broiler.
Pour batter into muffin tin until each cup is filled halfway.
Cook batter in the broiler for 3 minutes or until batter is set.
Add a generous scoop of mushroom mixture to each muffin cup.
Return to broiler for another 2 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup.
Let tartlets cool in the pan for 5 minutes or so.
Gently remove tartlets from muffin tin with two forks and set on platter or plate.

Happy Cooking and Happy Thanksgiving!
Kim