Butternut squash, mushroom, onion and mozzarella tarte tatin, tiny roast potatoes and steamed vegetables.

 

I'm trying to use the autumnal vegetables, and not just make soups and stews (not that there is anything wrong with that), so a savoury tarte tatin with Sunday dinner veggies.  It was delicious.

Onions
Olive oil

Garlic

Butternut squash

Mixed herbs - sage, rosemary a bit of chilli

Leftover (?) wine!  rosé today

Mushrooms

Potatoes

Green beans 

Savoy cabbage

Mozzarella

Puff pastry

Soya milk

1.  Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, with a pinch of salt, in a tarte tatin pan - or heavy frying pan which can go in the oven..

2.  When quite soft add crushed garlic.

3.  Peel and chop butternut squash and add to the onion, fry off for a minute or so, then add a splash of wine and water, simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Stir and add herbs of your choice - sage, rosemary and chilli work well.

5.  Simmer until squash is nearly soft, and most of the liquid has disappeared, add chopped mushrooms and continue cooking.

6.  Peel and cube potatoes, roast in olive oil at about 180.

7.  Prepared extra vegetables for steaming - I used green beans and cabbage - could be almost anything.

8.  When the mushrooms have cooked enough to release their moisture and the mixture has become quite dry again - turn off the heat.

9.  Sprinkle grated cheese onto the squash and mushroom mixture, cover with puff pastry.

10.  Tuck the pastry into the pan to form a rustic seal, stab the top a few times to let out steam, and brush the top with soya milk.

11.  Put the pie in to bake for 25-20 minutes.  Steam the vegetables.

12.  Chat, set the table, faff.

13.  Turn the pie out, serve the potatoes and veggies.

14.  Serve, gloat, scoff.  

Chicken and leek pie

Another Waitrose bargain... 99p roast chicken!  So,  sautee leek, celery and crushed garlic in olive oil until soft, add stripped chicken pieces - sprinkle with flour, stir in with spoonful of mustard and seasoning.  When all flour is mixed in add good glug of white wine and about a mugful of chicken stock.  Simmer, and stir for a couple of minutes to cook flour.  Take of heat, and allow to cool briefly.  Stir in creme fraiche.  Chuck in pie dish and cover with pastry (puff in this case) - egg or milk wash and bake for 25ish minutes.  Served with mash, carrots and purple sprouting.  Several shades better than bought standby pie - and leftovers to boot.  Victim scoffed, said "nice pie" .. and then made tea.  result!

In other news, chickens have finally started laying again!  Not many yet, but it means that spring is on the way.