Pumpkin, Feta & Zucchini Tart (including Thermomix & Conventional Methods)

This wonderfully flaky shortcrust pastry can be used with all kinds of different tarts. I love the tangy flavour the gruyère cheese gives this tart, but don’t hesitate in substituing it with a milder cheese, such as cheddar, if you prefer!

Serves 6-8

Shortcrust Pastry 
(to line 24cm round x 4cm deep fluted flan tin)

180g unsalted butter, diced
240g plain or bakers flour
pinch of salt
(60ml) 3 tbsp cold water

Filling

400g butternut pumpkin, diced into 1-2cm cubes
extra virgin olive oil, drizzle
150g zucchini, sliced
200g fetta, diced into 1cm cubes
100g gruyere cheese, cut into 3cm cubes
4 large eggs
100g cream or milk
Salt & pepper to taste

THERMOMIX METHOD

Shortcrust Pastry

1. Place flour, followed by butter and salt, in TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6 until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add cold water and knead for 10-20 seconds on Interval speed to form dough. Turn mixture on floured board and knead lightly. Flatten dough into a disc about the same diameter of the flan tin base. Wrap in plastic and rest pastry in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3. Roll pastry to 1/8 inch thickness and line a flan tin with removable base, trimming pastry to sit 1cm above tin edge, to allow for shrinkage during baking. Allow lined tart mould to rest in freezer for at least one hour so shrinkage doesn’t occur when blind baking. (TIP – I prefer to prepare the pastry lined tart tray well in advance, loosely wrapped in plastic, and use as required direct from freezer. You could keep frozen for up to a month before blind baking).

4. Preheat oven to 200C. Place a piece of baking paper over frozen pastry base and fill with baking beads or dried beans, especiallly up the sides to prevent them from falling due to heat from baking. Blind bake tart for 15-20 minutes until exposed edges of tart are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven; carefully spoon out blind baking beans and baking paper lining from pastry, and trim sides, while the pastry is still a little soft, so that it is level with the top of tin. Return to oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until base of tart is dry and golden brown.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool, or proceeding with the filling.

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 200C, drizzle pumpkin with oil, season with salt & pepper and bake on a baking tray for 15 minutes, until tender. Let cool.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 180C. Place gruyere into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 5. Set aside. In a bowl, gently mix together cooked pumpkin, diced fetta, sliced zucchini and grated gruyere and spread evenly over blind baked pastry case.

3. Place eggs, cream/milk, salt & pepper into TM bowl and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4. Gently pour egg mixture over tart and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and just set in the centre. Let rest for about 15-20 minutes, before serving or serve cold.

CONVENTIONAL METHOD

Shortcrust Pastry 

1. Rub (or pulse) in flour, salt and butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2. Add cold water to gently work mixture together into a ball of dough, trying not to overwork dough so that pastry is flaky (overworking will cause pastry to become elastic).

3. Turn mixture on floured board and knead lightly. Flatten dough into a disc about the same diameter of the flan tin base. Wrap in plastic and rest pastry in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

4. Roll pastry to 1/8 inch thickness and line a flan tin with removable base, trimming pastry to sit 1cm above tin edge, to allow for shrinkage during baking. Allow lined tart mould to rest in freezer for at least one hour so shrinkage doesn’t occur when blind baking. (TIP – I prefer to prepare the pastry lined tart tray well in advance, loosely wrapped in plastic, and use as required direct from freezer. You could keep frozen for up to a month before blind baking).

5. Preheat oven to 200C. Place a piece of baking paper over frozen pastry base and fill with baking beads or dried beans, especiallly up the sides to prevent them from falling due to heat from baking. Blind bake tart for 15-20 minutes until exposed edges of tart are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven; carefully spoon out blind baking beans and baking paper lining from pastry, and trim sides, while the pastry is still a little soft, so that it is level with the top of tin. Return to oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until base of tart is dry and golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and allow to cool, or proceeding with the filling.

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 200C, drizzle pumpkin with oil, season with salt & pepper and bake on a baking tray for 15 minutes, until tender. Let cool.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 180C. In a bowl, gently combine cooked pumpkin, diced feta, sliced zucchini and grated gruyere and pour into blind baked pastry case.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt & pepper then gently pour egg mixture gently over tart ingredients and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and just set in the centre. Let rest for about 15-20 minutes, before serving or serve cold.

Buon appetito!

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