Pumpkin Pie With Acorn Crust

Goodness, I haven't made a pumpkin pie for years. I used to make them often when we lived in Hawera some 30 odd years ago. And since it's Easter and here we are in "Lock Down"- just the two of us together in this surreal time of the Covid19 pandemic & we have pumpkins that we grew down at the Eversley Community Garden sitting on our front porch, I decided that pumpkin pie would be a lovely thing to make. I never have quite understood why we Down Under just tagged along with the Northern Hemisphere all this time and never bothered to create meaningful Easter rituals and practises of our own. Because, quite frankly, it's autumn and harvest time here not spring!

Having some time on my hands and needing to take walks in the sunshine has given me a wonderful opportunity to wander in my neighbourhood and see what I could forage and make use of. I happened to have just been reading Kiva Rose's post & her use of evergreen acorns when I came across this Holm Oak- Quercus Ilex tree in the Duke street reserve. Last year I had a go with English Oak acorns but all that soaking and faffing around to leach out the tannins was a bit much.  

 So  I took Kiva at her word and roasted a handful of acorns for 20 minutes or so until dark brown.

 They have a lovely thin shell so are easily peeled.

Next I chopped the acorns up a bit more & then ground them in a coffee grinder (I have an extra grinder that I use for such things). Acorns are way too hard for a regular food processor to cope with. As fine as possible is good. To make the pastry for the pumpkin pie:

Cream 100 grams of softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar. I used a lovely Trade Aid Muscovado sugar, but coconut sugar would be fine too. 

Add in the ground acorns- 1/3 cup

And a 1/3 cup of ground almonds

Then add 3/4-1 cup of flour- I use German white spelt flour.

1/2 tsp of ginger & 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.

Lastly a pinch of salt.

Mix altogether in to a nice firm dough.

 Pop in to the fridge to chill for for an hour or so.

 Press in to a greased pie dish- or in this instance two dishes as that was all that seemed suitable in the cupboard.

Now for the pumpkin custard bit:

Cook chopped pumpkin until tender & blend well using a stick blender.

A potato masher would do just fine but I like the silky texture of the pumpkin this way.

You should end up with a really good cupful

 Mix in a tsp ground ginger, a tsp cinnamon & a a good grating of nutmeg to the pumpkin.
Along with 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar.
Mix altogether & leave it to sit while you assemble the other things.

 Once cooled pour off any extra liquid that has settled out of the pumpkin & then beat in 2 eggs & 3/4 cup of cream.

 Pour in to the prepared base & bake for around 40 minutes at 150 C
Or until the custard has set.

Serve with cream.

I will refine this recipe when I make it again but this version was just delicious & the base was gorgeous. Acorns have the loveliest flavour- a unique combination of caramel & toffee. 

The texture was light & highly digestible.

The extra dough I made in to biscuits & cooked them alongside the pie.

They are light & crunchy & fabulous!

Katie X

Warm Lentil & Roast Pumpkin Salad

This is a delicious warm salad sort of dish for autumn/winter. 

It can be easily adapted to serve just the two of you 

(alright 3 nights in a row on your own but it keeps well)

or great for a whole crowd.

It is a meal on it's own or lovely with crusty bread, leafy salads
or lamb etc with lots of yummy homemade chutneys.

Just make up the quantities to suit yourself as you go along.

What you will need:

Black French Puy lentils..brown are fine too if
that's all you can find.

Good pumpkin & a nice feta cheese.
This one came from Hohepa

Wild rice..not always easy to track down so grab it any time that you see it.

This lot came from New World & tastes fine but is a funny
gray colour when cooked. I went to take a picture of the
cooked rice but it looked rather ugly so I skipped it!

My preferred wild rice is black in colour & although quite

expensive you don't need a great deal of it. Even 1/2 c is fine.

Lots of red onions. I used small ones cut in to 1/8ths.

Now peel & prepare the pumpkin. 

I prefer supermarket squash as in the photo.

It has annoyingly nobbly skin but is always such a
lovely flavour & colour.

Roast the cubes of pumpkin in olive oil.

I have been using stock too just lately & it gives a
moist tasty result without the extra fat/oils.

Roast the chopped onions & some peppers..so many
glorious colours right through til the middle of winter.

While the pumpkin, onions & peppers are roasting

(another lovely addition at this time of the year is fennel)

cook the rice & lentils in separate pots.

The lentils need to be rinsed, covered with a 

couple of centimetres of water & simmered for
around 20 to 25 mins until tender. Drain any excess water.

The rice likewise.

Now combine all the ingredients into a nice bowl including
the packet of crumbled feta & dress with a mixture
of good olive oil, lemon juice, good salt, ground black pepper,

honey, some zested root ginger if you like & any other 

chopped herbs such as flat leafed parsley or coriander .

Other things to add are capers & good black olives.

Here we are..not the most inspiring version but at least you get the idea.

David's 21st birthday edition..yum!

Much Love Katie x