ROAST VEGETABLE AND CASHEW PIE

Grind the almonds in a food processor to make a fine powder, then add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and sugar and ‘pulse’ a few times until thoroughly combined. Add the butter and cream cheese to the processor bowl and blitz just until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and run the machine again until everything comes together to make a soft dough.

Remove the dough from the bowl, shape it into a thick disc and wrap it tightly in clingfilm. Chill for 15-20 minutes until firm. Unwrap the dough on a lightly floured worktop and roll out to the thickness of a pound coin. Dip the flower cutter in flour and stamp out shapes. Arrange half of the flower shapes on a lined baking sheet. Stamp out the centre from the rest of the shapes using the small plain cutter dipped in flour. Set these flowers-with-a-hole on another baking sheet.

Gather up all the dough trimmings, then re-roll them and cut out more flower shapes – make sure you have an equal number of those with and without a hole. Set these on the baking sheets. Chill the dough shapes for 10-15 minutes while you heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes until they are a pale gold colour with slightly darker edges – check after 8 minutes and rotate the sheets so the biscuits bake evenly. Remove and leave to cool on the baking sheets for a minute to allow the fragile biscuits to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack and leave until cold.

Spread raspberry jam over the flat underside of the biscuits without a hole, then sandwich with the flowers-with-a-hole biscuits (flat underside against flat underside) so the jam shows through. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Here’s a simple dinner that needs nothing more than a green salad. It’s perfect for using a glut of vegetables from the garden. Serves 4-6

For the filling

2 small to medium aubergines 2 courgettes 2 red peppers 1 red onion 1 small sweet potato, about 200g (7oz) 4tbsp olive oil 6 large garlic cloves Leaves from a small bunch of fresh oregano, thinly sliced 100g (3½oz) unsalted cashews 50g (1¾oz) soft sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped Salt, black pepper and chilli flakes, all to taste

To assemble

1 x 375g pack ready-made puff pastry, thawed if frozen Flour, for dusting 1 egg, beaten, to glaze To make the filling, heat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Trim or peel the vegetables, then cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks and place in a roasting tin. Spoon the olive oil over and toss to coat. Roast in the heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Toss the vegetables using a fish slice, then roast for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and add the garlic and oregano. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and toss together, then return to the oven for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and lightly coloured but not falling apart.

Spread the cashews in a baking dish or tin and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Remove the vegetables from the oven (you can turn it off for now) and stir in the toasted cashews and sun-dried tomatoes. Taste and season, then leave to cool.

When ready to assemble, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop to make a 45cm x 30cm (18in x 12in) rectangle. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the pastry into 2 rectangles, one 25cm x 30cm (10in x 12in) to form the lid of the pie, the other 20cm x 30cm (8in x 12in) to form the base. Roll up the base loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it on to a lined baking sheet. Brush beaten egg over a 1.5cm (¾in) border all round the edges of the rectangle.

Spoon the vegetable filling on to the central part of the pastry (leave the egg-glazed border exposed), mounding it up neatly in the middle – use your hands to gently press the vegetables into a slightly domed shape. Roll up the pastry lid around the rolling pin and gently unroll and drape it over the top of the filling to cover. Use your fingers to press and seal the edges of the lid to the egg-glazed border around all 4 sides. Roll or curl the edge of the border inwards to make a neat band, then mark the border with the back of a fork, pressing down neatly. Chill for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220°C/fan 200° C/gas 7. Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg to glaze, then cut 5 slits across the top on a slight diagonal. Bake the pie in the oven for about 25 minutes until the pastry is a rich golden brown and crisp.