A delicious picnic pie tastes as good in the garden as it does on a blanket in the woods
This lovely layered veggie pie beats soggy sandwiches hands down. One slice is never enough. You can find the recipe for this and the rest of our outdoor menu in our April issue… Salad jars with peanut butter dressing, tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto skewers, homemade scotch eggs and berry cheesecake.
Serves 6-8
You will need:
400g butternut squash, cubed
1 red onion, sliced
Olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
50g soft goat’s cheese
2 large peppers
1 courgette, sliced
150g baby spinach
100g ricotta
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
500g shortcrust pastry
1 large egg, beaten
How to make:
1 Pre-heat the oven to 200C/ 180C Fan/Gas 6.
2 Peel and deseed the butternut squash and cut it into small cubes. Place on a baking tray with the sliced onion, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 mins, or until soft. After 20 mins, add the rosemary and sage.
3 Transfer to a bowl and, when cool, stir in the goat’s cheese and set aside. Place the peppers, whole, on a separate baking sheet and cook for 30 mins or until the skin blackens. Allow to cool before peeling the skin, deseeding and cutting into slices. Allow to drain in a sieve until ready to assemble. Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil and add the sliced courgette. You may need to do this in batches. Cook each side until brown, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
4 In the same pan, add the spinach, allow to wilt in the heat for 2-3 mins, transfer to a colander and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture. Chop up and place in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, sprinkle in the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
5 Grease a 20cm spring-form tin. Lightly flour a surface and roll out two thirds of the pastry to cover the base and tin sides. Carefully press into the tin leaving some overhang, then trim the rest. With the remaining pastry, roll out a circle large enough to cover the top of the tin and set aside. Spread the base with the spinach mix, followed by the pepper slices, then a layer of courgettes and finally the butternut squash mix. Add the pastry top, crimp the edges to seal the pie and make a hole in the top for the steam to escape.
6 Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake for 50 mins or until the top is golden brown. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. Slice to serve. Cook’s note: This pie is good hot or cold. so, it’s great for a picnic. It can be made the day before, simply keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
You can find the rest of the outdoor recipes in this menu in our April issue, available in shops now or from our online shop.
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