Pumpkin, Spinach and Gruyere Tart

This is a really delicious tart, the contrast of the green of spinach or silverbeet against the deep orange of pumpkin looks wonderful.

Whip up this simple recipe for lunch, add to the picnic basket, work or school lunchbox. Vary the filling ingredients to your liking, use dairy alternatives and for gluten free pastry try this recipe.

eg spinach & feta, ham & asparagus, bacon & cheese, broccoli & bacon.

RECIPE

Pastry

200 g flour

100 g unsalted butter

pinch of salt

1 egg

1 tab cold water

Filling

200 g pumpkin or sweet potato

1 tab oil

4 stems silverbeet

2 eggs

30 g unsalted butter

100 ml cream

100 ml milk or dairy alternative

120 g gruyere cheese or parmesan

METHOD

Grease a 20 cm flan tin

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C

To make pastry

• Rub the diced butter into the flour with your fingertips to look like breadcrumbs

• Add water & egg to the mixture, mix until pastry ball forms. If too dry add more water

• Knead a little on the bench top to form a smooth disc

• Cover in the fridge for about 20 minutes

In the meantime prepare the filling

• Toss diced pumpkin in a little oil, place on a tray in the oven, cook about 10 minutes

• Strip the leaves from the silverbeet stalk & shred

• Place a little butter in a saucepan, over medium heat, toss the leaves, then add a little water, covering the pot to cook a further couple of minutes

• Drain off any liquid and set aside

• Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream

• Take pastry from the fridge and roll between 2 pieces of baking paper. This way it won't stick to the bench and makes it easier to place into flan tin

• Roll out the pastry to suitable size, lift the top baking sheet off, place pastry side down over the tin & peel off the second sheet of baking paper

• Gently push the pastry into the base of the tin

• Remove excess pastry, if any by pressing top of tin with fingers

• Patch if needs be too

If you have time place the pastry in the tin back into the fridge to cool a little

• When ready to cook place the cooked pumpkin and silverbeet across the bottom of the pastry, season with a little pepper & salt and pour over liquid mixture

• Grate cheese over the top of the flan

• Place in the centre of the oven and cook until golden, about 30 minutes, depending upon how hot your oven is, and whether you have fan force