Roasted Squash & Sable Grape Tart

 

So, I asked on instagram (and indeed twitter) if you’d like the recipe for the super simple tart I made the other day and the response was a resounding yes. You also asked about my new camera – the answer is, my Husband spoiled me this Christmas and bought me a Sony a7III, which means my photos are going to look a whole lot crisper from here on in. Hurrah!

 

After a pretty rough start to the week, I’m slowly getting back into work mode. Slowly being the operative word. I don’t know about you but things can go one of two ways after a long break. I can either feel refreshed and ready to get back to it with gusto. Or. And this is basically what has happened since we entered 2019. I feel completely overwhelmed, don’t know where to start with my to-do list, take my propensity for procrastination to the next level and then feel terrible when it gets to 5pm and feel like I’ve achieved nothing. I’m sure many of you can relate.

 

This year feels especially hard for some reason, so I’ve decided to keep a weekly log of everything that’s gone well … it could be work related – or not. It might just be list of everything positive that’s happened that week. For example, I managed to get back on the mat after a three week hiatus and it felt good. I also ticked a few things off my long-term goals list, and have already had some super nice brands approach me with work for the New Year. When I lay things out like this, it makes me realise it’s not all doom and gloom, and helps me keep a more positive mindset, especially when things feel chaotic.

 

Unfortunately my house is still feeling the effects of a full-on Christmas. Yep, still haven’t taken down the trees (although I have removed the decorations – baby steps) and every room needs a deep clean. Truthfully, I probably wont get around to that until the weekend unless I suddenly decide to get stuck in tomorrow but the odds of that happening are pretty much zilch. The difficulty when you essentially work from home is that it can be incredibly tricky to not engage in housework even when you have a mountain of actual work to do. For me, mess is a huge distraction and I often can’t focus if I feel like the bathroom needs some serious attention – which it currently does. Ugh.

 

The one thing that does bring a certain amount of calm into my day is getting into the kitchen and creating something. I also love to work with what I’ve got in the fridge and cupboards, and in this case I had some leftover roasted squash, a bunch of super sweet sable grapes I picked up in Waitrose, vegan rose harissa pesto that Belazu sent me before Christmas, as well as this crazy amazing new (to me) ingredient (it’s a herb) called Zahter – I will link to it here because you absolutely must try it. I also had some mint and chives in the fridge that needed using. Not herbs I would naturally put together but it actually worked very nicely … just don’t go overboard. Oh, and I needed to use up this roll of gluten-free puff pastry that had been hanging around for a while, hence the tart. These toppings would work equally well on a regular and/or tortilla pizza, so don’t limit yourself to pastry.

 

Last thing. I’m hosting a supper club (my first, in fact!) next Friday at Archie Browns in Penzance. The team there are magnificent and I’m so excited to be working with Helen and Claire on this collaboration, and we really hope you can join us for an evening of delicious, wholesome vegan dishes taken from each of my books. I don’t want to spoil the menu but there will be an array of local, seasonal produce on show, as well as drinks provided by local winery Polgoon and goody bags provided by Belazu … I will also be using their sensational ingredients in each of the dishes, so you really are in for a treat. I’ve gotta do it, and forgive my clichéd approach, but  … book now to avoid disappointment! In all seriousness though, I really hope to see some of you there.

 

what you’ll need

1 roll gluten-free/vegan puff pastry (remove from fridge 10mins prior to using)

roasted squash (any variety will do)

handful of sable grapes

large handful of spinach

2 heaped tbsp. belazu rose harissa pesto

2 tbsp. hummus

1 tbsp. dairy-free yoghurt

juice of 1/2 clementine (or 2 tbsp. orange juice)

smoked salt

 

to garnish

1 sprig mint

chopped chives

generous scattering of Zahter in oil

date sweetened tahini drizzle (details below)

 

what you’ll do

 

Pre-heat the oven to 220c (200 fan). Carefully unroll the pastry and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Using a knife carefully score the perimeter of the pastry – I find 1cm is sufficient for it to puff up neatly around the toppings. I used leftover roasted squash but if you are roasting from scratch, cut into medium slices, drizzle with oil, season and roast for 25-30mins until golden, turning once.

 

Put the spinach in a colander and pour over freshly boiled water to wilt. Squeeze out any excess liquid and finely chop. Halve the grapes.

 

Place the harrisa pesto, hummus, yoghurt and clementine juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Spread generously over the pastry.

 

Arrange the squash on top of the tart and scatter over the minced spinach and finally the sable grapes. Sprinkle generously with smoked salt, a good grinding of black pepper and bake for 15-20mins until golden. I find 18mins is usually the sweet spot but your oven might be different so keep an eye. I also like to turn it at the 10 minute mark.

 

Whilst the tart is in the oven make a simple tahini drizzle by combining 1 tbsp. tahini, juice 1/2 clementine, 1/2 tbsp. date syrup, 1/4 tsp. smoked salt and a little water to loosen the mixture. Whisk vigorously until smooth.

 

Transfer the tart to a serving platter. Scatter over the Zahter in oil, spoon over the tahini and finish with a final smattering of roughly chopped mint and a few chopped chives.