There is nothing that shows affection more than a delicious home-cooked meal, and if some of the ingredients have also been homegrown…this will surely earn brownie points in the garden and kitchen!
Burpee Europe breeds the perfect varieties with which a whole array of recipes can be achieved, one of which is the gorgeous Squash ‘Early Acorn Hybrid’.
This variety of squash has productive plants which bear five large, dark-green fruits. The orange-yellow flesh is sweet, nutty and has a smooth texture. ‘Early Acorn’ is a brilliant performer in flavour and wide adaptability.
To enjoy this variety why not try this ‘Winter Squash & Stilton Pie in Filo Pastry’ recipe below, written for Burpee Europe by chef Valerie Hamelin
Ingredients
1 Winter Squash – Early Acorn Hybrid
Olive oil
Sprig thyme
1 small bag spinach leaves
1 onion – diced
2 garlic cloves- chopped
1 small packet smoked lardons
1 packet filo pastry
Butter – Melted for each layer of filo
1 small pot low-fat crème fraiche
50 gr Stilton cheese
Salt & pepper
Method
- Cut the squash in half and season with olive oil, salt and pepper & thyme. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 180 C or until the flesh feels cooked and soft.
- Whilst the squash is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan and sweat off the diced onions and garlic, add the spinach and cook until wilted, drain and set aside and cool down.
- In a hot frying pan, place the lardons and cook until golden brown and crispy, drain on kitchen roll to remove excess fat.
- Spoon out the flesh of the squash, separate some crushed down and some into pieces.
- Place the cooled spinach into a bowl, add the crème fraiche, the crushed squash & salt and pepper, mix well. Set aside
- Crumb the stilton
- Cut the filo pastry into large strips and cut into 10 cm x 10 cm square
- To assemble the pie, using a 7cm muffin tin tray. Place 3 buttered filo pastry squares on top of each other. Place the 1st one on a worktop then add the 2nd one to the opposite quarter and the 3rd square on top like the 1st one.
- Then press down the filo pastry into the moulds and add the spinach mix on the bottom and topped with the squash pieces and the crumb stilton.
- Bake in the oven at 190C for 20 minutes or until the filo is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
To serve
Simply place the warm pies onto a chopping board with dressed rocket leaves.
These rich, lovely individual pies are full of hearty flavours and perfect for the autumn season. And ideal for dinner parties.
Tip
A great alternative for a vegetarian dish without the lardons.
Seeds are NOT sold to the consumer direct from Burpee, but available now from selected seed companies, please contact Fran at rabbitattackpr@gmail.com for supplier list.