Roasted winter vegetables on a pumpkin disk
Serves 6
Ingredients
2kg butternut pumpkin
2 purple organic carrots
1 red onion, chopped into 8 wedges
1 small fennel bulb, sliced in 1cm strips
1 small eggplant, sliced into 1cm strips
4 garlic cloves, whole
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into thick strips 1 cm in width
1 tbs creme fraiche
olive oil for roasting
fresh thyme
fresh parsley, finely chopped
crushed sesame seeds for garnish
Dressing – 1 tbs grain mustard, 1 tbs red wine vinegar, 1 tbs nut oil, seasoning
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C, fan forced 160C. Cut the pumpkin into 6 large disks, about 3cm in thickness, keeping the skin.
- Place onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Set aside
- Meanwhile place the carrots, garlic, red pepper, onion, eggplant, 3 branches of thyme and fennel on another oven tray, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place into the oven until cooked. Set aside
- Take the pumpkin disks and with a knife gently hollow out the centre, leaving the outer skin with at least 2cm of flesh.
- Take the inner pulp and mash together with the roasted garlic cloves, salt, cracked black pepper, parsley and creme fraiche.
- To make the dressing, mix together mustard, vinegar and nut oil, season to taste.
- Place each slice of pumpkin on an individual plate, fill the middle with a tablespoon of the mashed pulp, then delicately fill each hollow with a selection of roasted vegetables, so they stand upwards and make a fanned shape.
- Drizzle with some dressing and sprinkle over the crushed sesame seeds.