Savory Pumpkin Tart Food

SAVOURY PUMPKIN TARTLETS

Steps:

• To prepare filling, heat oil in a small non-stick frypan over medium-low heat. Add red pepper, shallots and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, stirring, until vinegar is almost evaporated. Remove from heat and transfer red pepper mixture to a heatproof bowl; cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Add pumpkin, pecans, grated Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, basil, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir until blended. Filling may be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator. Stir before using.
• Pipe or spoon filling into shells. Top each with shaved Parmesan cheese and a tomato slice. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

SAVORY PUMPKIN TART

Steps:

• The night before serving, toss squash with salt in a bowl. Place a heavy weight on top, cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
• To make pastry, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. With pastry cutter or fork, cut in butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Add 1 to 11/3 cups very cold water, a few tablespoons at a time, until mixture just comes together. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease large baking sheet. Drain squash. In saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
• On floured surface, roll out dough into a 17- by 12-inch rectangle. With long side facing you, spread squash evenly over right half of dough. Top with onion, parsley and garlic cloves; season with salt and generous grind of pepper.
• Dab edges of dough with water. Fold left half over filling and pinch edges firmly to seal. Brush crust with egg yolk. Using knife, cut slit in center of crust, pulling back edges slightly to form a 2 1/2-inch hole.
• Transfer crust to baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until squash is fork tender and crust is well browned, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Slowly pour cream into crust vent. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAVORY ROASTED PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• For the crust, combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch the butter (1/3 cup) into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water a little at a time until the mixture begins to clump together. Press the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator as you turn your attention to the other ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the pumpkins, discard the seeds and stringy innards, and cut the flesh into 1-inch cubes. Put the pumpkin on a baking sheet or in a Pyrex pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and slightly browned.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter (2 tablespoons) with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Slice the onions and cook in the butter and olive oil, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes or until deep brown and fragrant.
• Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and, on a floured surface, roll the dough into as thin a circle as possible. Fold the dough in half and then into quarters, transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, and carefully unfold it. Press the dough into the pie plate and trim away excess dough from the edges.
• Remove the pumpkin from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Mix together the cooked pumpkin and onions, and carefully transfer this vegetable mixture into the pie crust. (You may find your pie crust overflowing with vegetables. In this case, remove some of the pumpkin-onion mixture and set it aside -- it makes a great snack or omelet filling.) Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the vegetables.
• In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and cheese in the pie crust. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top of the pie.
• Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the eggs are firm, and the top of the pie is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.