Pumpkin, Caramelised Onion, Goats Cheese & Walnut Tart
I really am all about the tarts - they are such a great way to include a variety of nutrients, colours, flavours and textures into one dish and you can adapt them to align with the seasons. This one is a perfect choice for Autumn using seasonal pumpkin or squash. Any leftovers are just as delicious the next day. If goat's cheese isn't your bag, you can easily swap for feta. Serve with a simple rocket or salad or sautéed greens
Servings: 6-8
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
Pastry:
125g plain flour
125g wholemeal spelt flour
1 tsp sea salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
140g butter, cold from fridge
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp ice-cold water
2 egg yolks, beaten
Filling:
100g pumpkin, peeled and cut into small cubes (squash or sweet potato works great too)
olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 medium red onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large handfuls kale, roughly chopped (or spinach)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
250ml milk of choice (cows, oat or almond work well)
3 eggs
150g goat’s cheese, rough chunks handful chopped walnuts
drizzle of honey
Method
Start with the pastry. Add the flour, salt & thyme to a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter & pulse to form a rough breadcrumb consistency. Gradually add water, egg yolks & mustard, pulsing until it forms a large dough ball.
Shape into a thick disk, wrap in cling film & chill ~30 minutes.
Once chilled, roll it between two sheets of baking paper into a circle about an inch bigger than the tart tin base. Keep a small amount of dough spare in case you need to fill in any gaps.
Carefully lay the pastry over the tin, press into edges & prick the base with a fork. Move to the fridge for another 10 minutes.
Cover with baking paper, fill with baking beans & blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper, brush the base with beaten egg & bake for another 10 minutes.
Now onto the filling. Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Toss the pumpkin in olive oil, thyme, salt & pepper & bake for 25 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil and maple syrup for 10 minutes on a high heat (2 mins) then low heat (8 mins) until soft and caramelised. Add the kale, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, Stir, cover & leave to cook for another 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk and eggs. Add in most of the goat’s cheese, the caramelised onion mixture and half of the pumpkin cubes.
Pour the filling into the tart base and top with remaining pumpkin, goat’s cheese, walnuts, a drizzle of honey and extra thyme.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.