Autumn Archives - Page 4 of 8 - I THINK THEREFORE I JAM

Red Onion Confit & Goat Cheese Quiche

One for real men perhaps.

In this red onion confit I used some reduced “must” which creates a natural added sweetness and a hint of something alcoholic. Its a natural partnership with a sharp cheese of course. With such strong flavours nothing more needed in the quiche custard than some fresh thyme and a pinch of nutmeg. Here I used a “Turnul vlasiei” from Preotescu

Ingredients

For a 20cm quiche

1 quantity Very Buttery Pastry

3 heaped tablespoons of Red Onion & Port Confit

1 goats cheese tower or small log (“buche”) – between 150-200g of cheese

2 eggs and 300ml full fat milk

salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

3 sprigs of fresh thyme – leaves only

How To

Blind bake the pastry case

Spread the onion confit on the base of the pastry case

Crumble the cheese roughly over the onion confit

Beat the eggs, milk, salt pepper, nutmeg and thyme together. Pour gently over the cheese and confit.

Bake at 170C until browned on top.

Eat cold on a picnic or warm with a salad as a light lunch or supper.

Pear & Goat Cheese Tart

An alternative dessert

If you have some very overripe pears and a bit of leftover strong cheese in your fridge that you don’t know what to do with then this tart makes them standout stars. The combination of very ripe pears and cheese is one of the most magical tastes of Autumn be it a pungent Roquefort or some really good goat’s cheese – which i was lucky enough to have in my fridge. In fact I first made a version of this tart with Roquefort but I might prefer it made with the impeccable clean tasting goat’s cheese from Mihai Preotescu as in this version. The recipe uses my easy peasy walnut and olive oil pastry which is just pressed by hand into the tin – no rolling pin necessary and no cleaning of a flour dusted work surface – labour saving and saving the planet all at the same time … We drizzled it with some strong wonderful Romanian honey and serevd more roasted walnuts alongside. I am ashamed to say (was it the wine?) I cant remember which type it was..perhaps “stejar” (oak).

This is a perfect dessert for those who do not like or cannot eat “sweets” but it is also a lovely light lunch served with a good remoulade of autumn veggies: celeriac, carrot,apple.

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Roast Butternut Squash & Sage risotto

a tale of two textures

I’m slightly in awe of the schizoid nature of pumpkins and butternut squash and how they show their sweet and savoury personas off. Here we also have two states of being: the grated pumpkin becomes creamy with the rice and the roast pumpkin cubes remain firmer and add a caramelised crunch.

In Autumn pumpkins are plentiful and cheap so no excuse not to buy one, cut it in half and slow roast it before deciding what to do with the flesh. This intensifies the flavour plus makes it easier to manage cutting the flesh. The flesh becomes seductively silky when pureed whether in a sweet pumpkin pie (I make mine with crushed coriander seeds and lemon zest) or a warming soup (perhaps a classic with orange version or a Thai inspired lemongrass, coconut and ginger number).

This refreshing bright and light risotto is a celebration of Autumn and the seasons turning and a perfect example of a main course where you just dont notice there is no meat. If you are in a rush you can skip the roast cubed pumpkin addition but it does elevate the dish.

You Are What You Eat

Pumpkin is a Beta Carotene powerhouse. Beta Carotene is a pigment the body converts into vitamin A. It is a powerful antioxidant that has been celebrated for its possible ability to fight cancer. It’s thought to play a role protecting cells, boosting the immune system, and helping to keep the reproductive system healthy. However don’t overdo it – I knew somebody who went on an obsessive carrot based diet and became the colour of a bad spray tan job. Sage and in particular sage tea has been used in folk medicine for centuries. Sage contains the anti inflammatory phenolic acid, also found in Rosemary “rosmarinic acid” and among its many properties is said to enhance memory. I have to say I’ve always found Sage tea a tad strong but being on the weaker end of the short term memory spectrum I probably should drink a cup every morning!

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