Easy Pumpkin & Fennel Vegetable Tart

Today a delicious recipe from guest blogger Kyrstie of A Fresh Legacy.

Our family meals are inspired based on what is available from our backyard vegetable garden. A walk around the various garden beds each day provides me with an idea of what will be ready to harvest during the week and I plan accordingly. I love avoiding a trip to the shops, and instead “shopping the backyard.”

This recipe is an example of menu planning based on what is available from the garden, or currently in season if you do not have a garden. Simple fresh ingredients used to create a family meal or a lovely lunch for friends.

Our vegetable garden has grown over the past four years to approximately 40 square meters but you don’t need to have a large garden or a lot of space to grow vegetables. Growing just one fresh food item, or a few, will result in fresh ingredients to add to your meals. Select plants that are fast growing and are enjoyed by your family. Herbs are a great starting point. You don’t need a large harvest to add a wonderful burst of flavour and additional nutrients to your meals, plus you will save money and time on trips to the store.

This recipe was inspired by our pumpkin harvest. It was a much smaller harvest than usual so I am being a little more considered with what I use them for. This tart is very easy to prepare.

Serve for a winter lunch with friends. It is a little rustic but full of flavour. If you don’t have the exact ingredients on hand don’t be afraid to switch to include others that you do have available.

Enjoy!

Easy Vegetable Tart

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This tart is very easy to prepare. Serve for a winter lunch with friends. It is a little rustic but full of flavour. If you don’t have the exact ingredients on hand don’t be afraid to switch to include others that you do have available.

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Ingredients

• 2 sheets pre-made puff pastry – thawed
• 300 grams pumpkin - cubed
• 1 medium fennel bulb sliced into 4-6 pieces
• 1 red capsicum – sliced into 8 pieces
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons chilli jam
• 1/4 cup fresh peas
• 50 grams feta cheese
• 20 grams pea sprouts

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius
2. Remove the pastry from the freezer to thaw.
3. Add the pumpkin, capsicum and fennel to a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and grind or two of pepper.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. The vegetables will be almost cooked after 15 minutes.
5. When the vegetables go into the oven grease the edges well with your oil of choice.
6. Add the pastry to the tart tin to cover the base, removing the excess from around the edges.
7. Cover the pastry with a sheet of baking paper and fill the area with either rice or baking weights.
8. Add the pastry to the oven with the vegetables (on the bottom shelf of the oven) and cook for 10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes to ensure that the top areas of the pastry are not cooking too much. If you have the option on your oven, ensure the bottom element is on as you want to start cooking the base of the tart. It will then continue cooking when it is filled and returned to the oven.
9. Remove the tart from the oven and discard the rice and baking paper.
10. Spread chilli jam on the base of the pastry.
11. Spread the cooked vegetables around the base of the tart and return it to the oven, again on the bottom shelf. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
12. Remove from the oven and sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to remove from the tart tin. Serve topped with the fresh peas, crumbled feta and pea shoots and season with salt and pepper if you wish.

Notes

Cook times and temperatures assume a fan-forced oven.

Substitute pea sprouts with thyme or sage if you can’t source them.

I collected fresh peas from the garden so did not pre-cook them. I wanted to enjoy their fresh sweet flavour and it also adds a lovely texture to the tart. You could pre- cook them or simply add them to the tart with the other vegetables before it goes into the oven for the final time if you prefer.


Substitute chilli jam with pesto if you prefer.

I use a tart tin with a removable base so you don’t need to fuss too much about trying to get it out.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 5g

Nutritional information is an estimate only and may vary depending on ingredients used.

Kyrstie is the founder of A Fresh Legacy, creator of the Kitchen Garden Box and author of Grow Just One Thing – The first step in a fresh food journey. She helps and inspires people to grow their own vegetable garden and enjoy fresh healthy meals.
Kyrstie believes that anyone can grow at least one food item at home and that this will have a positive impact on their lifestyle and health.
Find her at: afreshlegacy.net
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