Thursday, April 12, 2012

Pumpkin and feta tarts

PUMPKIN AND FETA TARTS

Ingredients
1 tbsp Olive Oil (if roasting pumpkin)
500g small cubed pumpkin - I prefer Kent variety (you can roast or boil*)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, dewooded and chopped fine
200g Feta, crumbled (I use a creamy feta from Tasmania)
1/3 cup Finely Grated Parmesan
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
6 Sheets Filo Pastry
80 g Butter, melted
2 tsp Poppy Seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste

nb: * if you boil the pumpkin, when you mash it down you will need to add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs to soak up some of the moisture.

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Lightly grease a 23cm (base measurement), loose-bottom fluted flan tin.
2. Place pumpkin (small cubes if roasted, mashed if boiled), rosemary, parmesan and feta into a bowl and mix well. Add in lightly beaten eggs. Season to taste.
3. Lay out filo on the workbench and cover with a clean, dry tea towel, then a clean damp tea towel. Take 1 sheet of the filo, keeping the others covered, and brush with melted butter. Repeat with another sheet and lay on top of the first sheet at right angles. Repeat with another sheet, laying it diagonally across the second sheet. Repeat with another, laying it at right angles to the third sheet. Brush the 2 remaining sheets with butter, and lay on top, again at right angles. NB: Do not do this stage too early or your filo will dry out!
5. Lift pastry stack onto the flan tin making sure it is centred. Gently press into the tin, leaving excess pastry overhanging. Spoon filling into pastry and gently smooth the surface. Fold overhanging pastry to cover the pie. 6. Brush with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until crisp and golden brown.

I ended up making 4 small filo tarts. I had heaps of filling left over and no more filo, so I then made a big pie with puff pastry, as well as a pumpkin and feta sausage roll.

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