Sue from Darwen said:
I don't remember rationing, but my Mum grew up with it. People don't realise how lucky they are with the availability... More
Pumpkin Tart
Rescue a pumpkin and turn into this autumnal treat.
Ingredients
- About 10 tspn of cold water
- 1 whole pumpkin
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 25g sunflower seeds
-
125g unsalted, chilled and cut into small cubes Butter
Butter
Unsalted is better for cooking.
Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
-
2 tspns ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon
Great in buns, cakes, and puddings.
- Add to baked apples or apple pies.
- Break the stick and add to poaching syrup for fruits like pears, plums or bananas or use to infuse wine or punch.
-
Pinch of Salt
Salt
Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.
Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.
-
275g plain Flour
Flour
For pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles.
- Raising agents are added to plain flour to make self-raising flour, used to lighten and give an airy texture to cakes and sponges.
- Once opened reseal with quick clips or transfer to an airtight container or kilner jar. It will keep for up to 3-4 months
-
100g caster Sugar and Syrups
Sugar and Syrups
Try having in stock caster sugar, muscavado, honey and golden syrup
- Once opened ensure they are tightly resealed with quick clips or bag clips.
- If you have got rock-hard brown sugar, crystallised honey/syrup, place in a suitable non-metallic bowl and give a quick blast of about 30 seconds on high in the microwave to bring these back to their normal state.
-
2 Eggs
Eggs
Always have some on hand for quick scrambled egg.
- Keep eggs in the fridge in their box and never eat them after their use-by date.
- The Health Protection Agency recommends buying Lion branded eggs, which come from vaccinated hens and are therefore less likely to contain salmonella
Instructions
- First make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and gently rub into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add enough water to make dough and form into a smooth ball. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour.
- When the pastry has relaxed then roll out on a lightly floured board to ¾ mm thick and line a 20cm loose bottomed fluted flan ring.
- Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Cook blind on a baking sheet in the oven set at gas mark 4/180C/350F for about 12 minutes, then carefully remove the beans and the paper and return the case to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling using the flesh scooped out from the pumpkin. Steam the flesh for 15-20 minutes, drain and then mash. Leave to cool and then beat the eggs together with the sugar and stir into the pumpkin mixture. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger.
- Pour the filling into the pastry case, sprinkle the seeds on top and bake in the oven set at gas 5/190C/375F for about 45 minutes until the filling has set.
Comments on this recipe
Tip for wasting even less: buy a ready-made pastry case from the baking aisle in the supermarket. If you don't want to scrape out the pumpkin you can cut into segments and bake, approx 30 mins at 210C. I've heard rumours it works with butternut squash too. With pumpkin it is luscious and very filling. Serve with plenty of cream or icecream.
Yummy pumkin pie
Don't waste food
use seeds to plant more!
Recycle paper and bottles and tin cans
Comments on this recipe