32bit EFI with 64 bit linux OS. Can it be done?

It is certainly possible, because I am right now typing this answer from a 64-bit Ubuntu system on a machine that exclusively boots with 32-bit UEFI.

Last year, I had to boot from GRUB command line after running the installer and then compile GRUB using instructions here by Lopaka (now updated)

But with Ubuntu 16.04 I was amazed to find it installed the correct, 32-bit version of GRUB without any special intervention on my part :)

I suspect this is because both versions now get installed to the ESP... have a look:

/boot/efi/EFI
├── Boot
│   ├── bootia32.efi
│   ├── bootx64.efi
│   └── bootx64.efi.grb
├── grub
│   ├── grub.efi
│   └── grubia32.efi
├── grub_uefi
│   ├── grub.efi
│   └── grubia32.efi
├── Microsoft
│   └── Boot
│       ├── bootmgfw.efi
│       ├── bootmgfw.efi.grb
│       ├── bootx64.efi
│       └── bootx64.efi.grb
└── ubuntu
    ├── fw
    ├── fwupx64.efi
    ├── grub.cfg
    ├── grub.efi
    ├── grubia32.efi
    ├── grubx64.efi
    ├── MokManager.efi
    └── shimx64.efi

But the ESP remains somewhat mysterious to me, I admit...

I must warn that others haven't found it as easy to achieve this precarious state of harmony as I have... Some people with my device, for example, find that GRUB will not install and so the installation will not complete. However, if that happens it is possible to exclude GRUB from the installation and fix it by booting a live session and installing 32-bit GRUB by a chroot method. I'm not sure how you'd manage this with a tablet.

TL;DR

It is possible, but not at all guaranteed to be free from complications...