Pumpkin Everyday – Pumpkin & Feta in Filo

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Liz

This is Number 7 in my series of posts called Pumpkin Everyday which makes me happy as now the title has more meaning – now by using this blog alone you can eat a different pumpkin dish every day of the week.  Why you would want to do that is less clear but still you could and that has got to be something….right???.. Anyway –

I was going to call this dish Pumpkikopita but then I realised that sounded absolutely ridiculous.  This is basically a pumpkin version of Spanakopita which I also make by replacing the pumpkin with silver beet (or spinach).  This recipe can also be used as a filling for ravioli although then I only use 1 egg and replace the feta with 100g of parmesan.

Pumpkin & Feta in Filo

  • 450g pumpkin cut into 1cm dice
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 200g ricotta
  • 200g feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • Black pepper
  • Melted butter (about 50g)
  • 20 sheets filo pastry

Heat the oven to 190 degrees.  Roast the pumpkin in the oven until soft.  Allow it to cool and then mash.  Meanwhile fry the onion until soft, add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.  Allow to cool.  When pumpkin and onion/garlic are fairly cool mix them with the egg and cheeses.  Season with pepper (you probably wont need salt as the cheese is fairly salty).  Grease a 20cm square dish or equivalent volume rectangle.  Lay two sheets of filo into dish, brush with melted butter, lay two more sheets and brush with butter, repeat until you have used 10 sheets.  Spoon in the pumpkin mixture.  Top with two sheets of filo pastry.  Brush with melted butter.  Add two more sheets, brush with butter and so on until all the filo has been used.  Bake in a 190 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Serve with a green salad.

 

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Posted in Autumn Harvesting, Pumpkin, Recipes, Winter Harvesting | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Winter Wednesday – The Joy of Germinating Tomatoes

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Liz

I really enjoy gardening in winter.  This hasn’t always been the case, in London it was bloody miserable, freezing earth, cold hands, drizzle, not much daylight and frankly not nearly enough reward.  But Melbourne is different, kitchen gardening in Melbourne in winter is a joy.  A slow growing joy but a joy nonetheless.  The garden remains fairly orderly, the pests go away, the weeds aren’t nearly as rampant, and slowly but surely things get bigger and bigger.

Towards the end of winter hibernating plants begin to reappear like this tarragon.

Those leeks will all of a sudden be big enough to eat.

The garlic will eventually mature.

The herbs green and lush, will be eaten.

   

But best of all there is the anticipation of what is to come:  Broad beans which will ripen, cabbages will form hearts, and these tomatoes, which I sowed in late July and are just starting to get their true leaves, will become breakfast, lunch, dinner, sauce and chutney.

 

Or at least I hope they will provided we get the right summer……

For other joys of winter visit Hazel Dene by clicking here.

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Posted in Winter Planting | 22 Comments

Dividing Herbs – Mint

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Liz

My mint has taken off in the last week or so, so today seemed like a good time to divide the plants before they become truly rampant in Spring.  Before division I gave the plant a good haircut and made my self a cup of mint tea.

I have harvested from the below plant a lot lately and while it could have kept going in this pot I think it will respond well to some TLC and new potting mix.

This is how I divide my plants: First remove it from its pot.  I’m a fairly messy gardener hence no drop sheet or anything to collect stray dirt.  Once the plant is out of the pot I usually just chop it in half with a spade ensuring the I am keeping about half the root system as well as half the leaves.  (Apologies for the over exposed pics.)

 

I then repot the half I am keeping and discard the rest (alternatively this could be repotted in another pot.)

The below photo shows the divided mint alongside another which I have simply repotted in a larger pot.  In this later instance I didn’t divide the plant.  It will be interesting to compare any differences in growth.  I use a lot of mint so hopefully both will be fabulously productive.

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Posted in Herbs & Spices | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Monday Harvest – 15th August 2011

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Liz

This week’s harvest is very green and herby with the last of the cauliflowers thrown in for good measure.

On Tuesday I was making stock – parsley, thyme and celery from the garden.

I also made a herby dressing for my pumpkin and cauliflower salad – chervil, dill, parsley, coriander, and spring onions.

Later in the week and I harvested a fairly pathetic portion of broccoli along with some parsley, spring onions & watercress for a salad.

Then yesterday I harvested the rest of my cauliflower.  The picture on the left shows just what happens when cauliflower has to compete (in this case with celery) – a baby head – it measured just 5cm across.  Oh well it tasted nice anyway….

  

To check out other fabulous harvests then get onto Daphnes Dandelions.

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Posted in Winter Harvesting | Tagged | 12 Comments

Its bolting isn’t it?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Liz

A while ago when I wrote on Silver beet and Chard a reader commented that her plants last for a couple of years.  I took this as a challenge and was determined to get a plant to be productive for at least 18 months.  Previously I found the plants always bolted in Spring and never recovered sufficiently to be productive after that.  Now this “perpetual spinach” (a variety of Silver Beet/Chard) plant is only 7 months old – a baby really and already it looks like its starting to bolt.

I will cut out the centre stalk and see what happens but frankly I’m not impressed….a little bit of warmth last week, it thinks Spring has come early and starts to think about procreation.  Oh dear!

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Posted in Greens - Lettuce, Spinach, Beets | Tagged | 7 Comments