PUMPKIN & BLUE CHEESE GALETTES Makes 2; Serves 6 (see opposite)

quantity wholemeal flaky shortcrust pastry (page 145) 1 large butternut pumpkin

(approx. 1.5kg)

2½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for

drizzling

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper Egg wash

120g blue cheese

10g pumpkin seeds, lightly

toasted

10g sunflower seeds, lightly

toasted

10g sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1 small handful of herbs, such as

parsley, chervil and thyme 1 small handful of salad leaves

1. Make wholemeal flaky shortcrust pastry.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut unpeeled pumpkin in half lengthways and scoop out seeds. Put pumpkin halves in a roasting tin, cut side up, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover tin with aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour, or until soft. Set aside to cool completely. Put pastry on a lightly floured kitchen bench and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a disc 4mm thick. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut out two rounds from the pastry 30–32cm in diameter. Lightly score a circle 5cm in from the edge of the pastry. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Mash cooled roasted pumpkin into a rough puree, discarding the skin. Spoon half the puree over each pastry base and spread it out to meet the 5cm margin. Fold the margin of pastry in towards the centre, over the edge of the pumpkin, then crimp pastry edges together to contain filling. Lightly brush exposed pastry border with egg wash. Return galettes to the fridge.

4. Preheat oven to 190°C. To get the bottom of the pastries nicely browned and cooked through, put two baking trays in the oven to heat up, or use a pizza stone if you have one. Slide galettes onto baking paper and onto the hot trays. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C and turn and swap the trays. Bake for a further 20–25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle the seeds over pumpkin. Finish with the herbs and salad leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. >