Cheddar Pumpkin Pie

1 pie crust (see recipe below)
2 t butter
1 t oil, plus extra for the roasting pan
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 C+ pumpkin and other vegetables (sweet potato, potato or whatever else you have to hand), cut into pieces
2 eggs
1/2 C cream
1/2 t dried thyme (or other herbs, fresh or dried, that compliment your vegetable selection)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 C grated cheese

Heat oven to 190 C.

Put pumpkin and vegetables in roasting pan with a little oil and cook until softened. Remove. Allow to cool a little then mash, puree or blend.

Meanwhile, melt 1 t butter with the 1 t oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 10 - 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and beginning to brown. Season with salt and set aside.

Beat the pumpkin and eggs together in a medium bowl. Add the cream and herbs. Season to taste.

Spread the cooked onion evenly over the base of the pie crust. Sprinkle over the cheese.Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cheese and onion. Dot with little pieces of the remaining butter and bake for 30 - 40 Minutes until a knife comes out clean. Can be served, hot, cold or at room temperature.

Note: depending on the amount of vegetables you use, you may need to add a bit more milk or an extra egg.

Savory Tart Crust
2/3 C plain flour
1/3 C SR flour
1/2 wholemeal flour1/2 t salt
125 g butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
1/4 C cold water

This is enough dough to fill a  9" pie tin.

Mix the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it looks like bread crumbs. Place in a large bowl. If you don't have a food processor, sift the flours and salt into a bowl and rub in butter until the same result is achieved.

In a separate bowl beat the egg yolk and water together and then mix into the flour mixture to form a dough. Form the dough into a ball and then turn onto a floured surface. Flatten into a disc shape and then refrigerate for a few hours.

Preheat oven to 200 C. Roll out the dough to the suitable size, place in pan and fold over the edges to create a double crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

Blind bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights, prick pastry with a fork and bake for another 10 minutes

Based on an original recipe from "Pumpkin - A Super Food For All 12 Months of the Year" by DeeDee Stovel but include the all of d. Tronsons changes. You can hear d. on Passionfruit and Chilli here.

Image: "pumpkin patch" by ~ecil

Caramelized Shallot Tart with Goats Curd and Roquette

50 ml vegetable oil
300 g shallots, whole with ends untrimmed (the ones with the little bulbs, not the spring onion/green onion variety)
25 g butter, softened
30 g sugar
2 sheets puff pastry, cut into 4 x 12 cm circles
120 g goats curd, divided into 4
Lots of roquette

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Heat oil in fry pan, season and cook shallots until brown. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until soft int he middle.

Great 4 x 10 cm tart shells with butter. Dust with sugar.

Place shallots evenly and snugly in the shells. Place puff pastry on top, tucking in the sides with a spoon.

Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes then invert onto a plate.

Place goats curd on top each tart and top with roquette.

Recipe supplied by Pete Bufo

Image: "Roquette Salad" from SantePratique

Potato Roti (Allo Paratha)

2 large potatoes
1 - 2 C flour, plus extra for dusting

1 green chilli sliced small
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t garam masala
2 T vegetable oil
Warm water as required
Salt and pepper, taste


Boil potatoes till tender, allow to cool a little, then grate.

Mix the flour and spices in a large bowl. Season. Mix in the grated potatoes. You should have a semi-firm dough that does not stick to your fingers so add oil and enough warm water to achieve this. 


Divide the dough into 10-12 balls with lightly oiled, clean hands. Dust the bench or board with flour and roll each ball into a thin 6" circle.

Heat frypan over medium-high heat and cook the breads until they are speckled with golden dots on each side. This should take about a minute per side.

Remove from heat, brush with butter and serve.

Note: you can amend the spice blend to suit your tastes and you could also include ginger, cumin, garlic, onion, mint, fenugreek or whatever else tickles your fancy.

Recipe suggested by Ken Lewis

Image: "Roti Time" by butterflies2pretty

Coffee Cake with Pecans

1/2 - 3/4 C roughly chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 t instant coffee
180g butter, softened
3/4 C brown sugar
2 eggs
2 C SR flour
1 C milk
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 cup black coffee (can be instant but espresso or plunger are better)


Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake pan.

Mix walnuts, brown sugar and half of the instant coffee in a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and remaining brown sugar. Beat in eggs and remaining instant. Fold through flour and milk.
Spread half the cake mixture onto the base of the pan.

Top with the pecan mix then remaining cake mix. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Make a coffee syrup by combining 1/2 C black coffee with white sugar Mix over low heat until the sugar is dissolved then boil gently unttil the mixture thickens a bit.

When the cake is cooked and still in the pan, gently make some deep holes with a skewer in the top of the cake. Pour over syrup and allow to stand for a few minutes. Turn out and serve warm or cool.

I have had this recipe for ages but I am not sure where I got it from. In the interests of transparency, I have found a very similar one here which I include as reference.

Image" Coffee" by SuzyTheButcher

Chocolate Pots

2 C milk
225 g good quality chocolate, grated
6 egg yolks, beaten just until blended
1/4 t cinnamon
½ - 1 t vanilla

Prepare 6 small dessert glasses or individual souffle dishes.

Place the yolks in a large glass heatproof mixing bowl and beat lightly to blend.

Put chocolate, vanilla and milk in a small saucepan. Bring it just up to the boil over very low heat, stirring regularly.

Gradually whisk the mixture into the egg yolks, pouring the hot liquid in a very slow stream to prevent the eggs from scrambling and whisking constantly, until well blended.

Pour the custard into the glasses, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or until firm. You can make this the day before.

Serve with extra cream and chocolate.

Image: "Chocolate" by iladora