The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
THENATURALBAKER
Henrietta Inman combines her core ingredients of wholegrain flours, less-refined sweeteners and good fats with what she calls her magic ingredients – those extra, natural, wholesome ingredients that transform her recipes and make them shine Pumpkin, Spina
Henrietta Inman is a skilled pastry chef and cookery teacher who has worked in award-winning kitchens across the country and is author of Clean Cakes. Using incredible fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices, flower waters, nuts and seeds, she creates delicious bakes that will make you smile in her new book, The Natural Baker, which has 80 easy-to-follow sweet and savoury recipes that take in every occasion from breakfast right through to supper and dessert, with plenty of joyous cakes, breads, brownies and biscuits along the way. l The Natural Baker by Henrietta Inman is published by Jacqui Small, an imprint of The Quarto Group, £20.
SERVES 4-6
1 pumpkin, about 850g, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves
Finely chopped sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
110g extra virgin olive oil, plus about 60g for the filo pastry, more if needed and for the tin
300g spinach leaves 250g ricotta cheese 80g Parmesan cheese, grated
3tbsp finely chopped oregano leaves, plus more to serve (optional)
7 sheets of filo pastry (my sheets were 48 x 25.5cm/19 x 10in)
100g mascarpone cheese 30g pine nuts
l Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Roast the pumpkin for about 30 minutes with the garlic, salt and pepper and 40g of the olive oil, until very soft and becoming golden at the edges. l Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, then drop the spinach in to cook for one minute, no more. Plunge into a bowl of cold water, then drain through a colander, squeezing out the excess water. Roughly chop.
l In a bowl, mash the cooked pumpkin and all its cooking juices with a fork. Mash in the chopped spinach, ricotta, 70g olive oil, Parmesan, oregano and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary; add more olive oil if it seems dry. You want to create a flavoursome, juicy filling that will not become dry when cooked.
l Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and brush a 30 x 20 x 3cm (12 x 8 x 1.25in) or similar sized baking tin (pan) or ovenproof dish with olive oil.
l Add a layer of pastry, brush generously with olive oil, then add another layer of pastry and oil, continuing until you have used all seven sheets.
l An even distribution of the filo is necessary, so place one sheet horizontally, then two sheets lengthways, and so on. Brush the last sheet with oil, then spread over the pumpkin and ricotta mix.
l Using a spoon, evenly distribute spoonfuls of the mascarpone over the top of the tart, then swirl it into the pumpkin mix with a fork. Scatter over the pine nuts. Lift up the edges of the pastry, tuck them into the sides and corners of the tray and brush them with olive oil.
l Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
l To serve, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and add the extra oregano leaves if you want. Serve warm or slightly cooled but it’s best eaten fresh. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to five days, warming up a little before serving if you like.