Peeling pumpkins can be a pain. Thankfully the butternut is easy enough to manage. You need to cut it at the bulbous base, then split this in half to remove the seeds. Then peel the skin off the 3 pieces with a vegetable peeler. For larger pumpkins, cut them in half (ish) on one side of the stump, remove the seeds, set flat on a table and peel the skin with a peeler before cutting the flesh into chunks. Of course this is complicated when you want a big carved pumpkin for a Jack O Lantern! Then you are pretty much doomed to doing a lot of awkward scraping out. Not to worry, having these recipes to hand will motivate you to get the last morsel out. You can also steam the flesh, puree it and freeze, ready for a future risotto or creamy soup.
Ingredients
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1 unsweetened ready-made pastry base
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1 small butternut squash or small pumpkin
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4 tablespoons single cream
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2 tablespoons Glenilen crème fraiche
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2 eggs plus 2 yolks
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100g Meadowfield soft goats cheese
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100g Cashel Blue
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salt, pepper
Method
Cut the butternut flesh into chunks, steam and reduce to a puree.
Pre heat the oven to 180C. Line a 24cm quiche tin with the pastry, weigh it down with baking beans on some greaseproof paper and bake blind for 15 minutes or so.
Beat the eggs, yolks and cream with the butternut puree, add in the crème fraiche. Season (lightly with the salt as the cheese is already salty!)
Take the baking beans out of the tart and pour the eggs and cream into the tart base.
Crumble the cheese into the eggs, submerging it partly and bake for 25 minutes or so, until the tart is puffed up, golden in places and quivering but not completely set.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately with good fresh salad leaves and baby tomatoes.
