Pumpkin
Pumpkin and Chocolate Pie
One short -crust pastry case
100g good quality dark cooking chocolate, roughly chopped
2 Medium Organic eggs
60g brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
½ tsp ground nutmeg
100ml double cream, lightly whipped
400g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2.5cm cubes, cooked for 10-12 minutes in simmering water, drained and mashed.
Heat the oven to 170c/325f/gas mark 3
Sprinkle the chocolate over the bottom of the pastry case. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the brown sugar and spices until well mixed. Fold in the cream and then very gently fold in the pumpkin. Pour the mixture carefully into the pastry case on top of the chocolate. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes until firm to touch. Remove and leave to cool.
Roast Pumpkin with Cinnamon,Onions and Thyme
Serves 4 as a side dish
1 pumpkin
2 medium onions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks, halved
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
300ml chicken or vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 190c/ gas mark 5.
Cut the pumpkin into 3cm thick wedges, Remove the seeds and peel, it’s easier to peel pumpkin after cutting. Peel and quarter the onions. Arrange the pumpkin and onions in a large baking dish. Season, place the cinnamon sticks amongst the vegetables and put the thyme over the top. Pour the hot stock over the contents of the dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft and the stock is almost completely absorbed and the onions are tender and translucent. Serve hot as a side dish.
You can turn any left-overs into soup by removing the thyme and cinnamon sticks and pureeing the pumpkins and onions with stock.