Kitchen Diary

 One of my most popular savoury tart sellers, with both vegetarians and meat eaters alike……….served with a fresh garden salad this makes a wonderful light lunch. It is also perfect for picnics….hmmmm if only brownieboy wasnt working tonight…..I think there will be a grand sunset after the heatwave of today…perfect for a picnic on the rocks!!!

400g Short Crust Pastry – see previous posting for recipe

FILLING

4 large free-range eggs

150ml cream

150ml Milk

400g butternut, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 Onion – peeled and cut into wedges

1 Clove Garlic – crushed or finely grated

4 Pepperdew halves – sliced thinly

100g feta cheese – cut into small cubes

1 Tbsp chopped Fresh Rosemary

Dash of cinnamon

1 tsp Wholegrain Mustard

Salt & Black Pepper & Cayenne Pepper

Olive Oil for roasting

Finely Chopped Chives & Parsley

Method

• Mix olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, salt & pepper and toss the butternut & onion in mixture – place in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the rosemary & roast at 180^oC till tender.  Leave to cool until ready to make the quiche

• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Whisk together the milk & cream, eggs, mustard, salt & pepper
• Arrange the butternut cubes, onion, pepperdews & crumbled feta cheese onto the baked crust, pour over the custard & sprinkle with parsley, chives & cayenne pepper. 
• Bake on a baking try in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 180^oC bake for a further 15 – 20mins until just set. 

 Have a delicious weekend everyone, be safe,
browniegirl xxx

 Have been meaning to blog about pastry and quiches for awhile but just didn’t get round to it. So before my Friday disappears into the weekend – it is Pinky Friday after all and gorgeous Ty will be arriving soon for our fun time ) – here is my recipe for making pastry. I usually double up the recipe then divide it into portions and freeze it. Always nice to have on hand for those short notice times. Oh, and you can always use bought pastry for your pies, tarts and quiches but once you have tried and tasted your own you will not want to go back to bought ) It’s easier than you think…..I’m not talking puff pastry OK??
This recipe that I have been using for the last few years comes from one of my foodie heroes Gary Rhodes. I must say I rather adore that man )

SHORT CRUST PASTRY    
(adapted from: Gary Rhodes “At the Table”)
Makes about 400g pastry which is enough for a large pie dish

225g Plain Flour
Pinch Salt
50g Butter – cold & diced into small cubes
50g Shortening/Lard (Holsum) – at room temp & diced into small cubes
(Can use all butter if preferred)
25 ml Icy Cold Water
1 Extra Large Egg (or an extra 25ml water if preferred)

Pinch of dried Mixed Herbs – optional

Shake of Cayenne Pepper  - optional

2 Tbs Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese – optional

(I like to add the last 3 ingredients to my veg quiches)

• Sift together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl
• Rub the diced butter & lard into  the dry ingredients until it looks like breadcrumbs -I actually prefer to grate my butter and lard onto the flour with the rough side of the grater and then just gently toss it through the dry ingredients – less work for me  )
• In a separate bowl or measuring jug whisk the egg with the icy cold water
• Add to the flour mixture and work in gently to form a smooth pliable dough (Add a bit more water if it is too crumbly)
• Wrap in cling film and allow to rest in fridge for 20-30 minutes before using or freeze until further use
• To use, remove from fridge and leave till room temperature before rolling out on a cold floured surface

If you want to make a sweet short crust pastry add 50g Castor or Icing Sugar at the breadcrumb stage. Use only butter in this instance. For variety add Vanilla Pod seeds or the finely grated zest of a lemon or orange

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 200⁰ C

Lightly butter a pie dish (loose bottomed is always best)

Roll out the pastry (always best to use a cold surface for rolling)  to larger than the size of the dish and line so that the pastry hangs over the sides.  This is to avoid shrinkage during baking

Cover with a layer of baking paper or foil and pop into the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes

Prick all over with a fork, line again with the baking paper or foil, fill with your choice of dried beans or rice (I use coins for even temperature) and bake for 15 minutes (this process  is commonly referred to as  baking ‘BLIND’). It is usually done when the pastry has to cook for longer than the filling or for fillings that require no baking. It provides a nice crisp base for your tart. The weight of the pulses or coins helps the pastry to maintain it’s shape while baking

Remove from oven, remove the paper and weights, trim off excess pastry with a small sharp knife & cutting away from the sides of the tart dish in short quick movements, eat the cut off bits yourself while no one is looking )

Cool slightly before adding your filling of choice.

Coming up next…….something nice to fill it with
browniegirl xxx