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

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C, fan forced 160C. Cut the pumpkin into 6 large disks, about 3cm in thickness, keeping the skin.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. Take the pumpkin disks and with a knife gently hollow out the centre, leaving the outer skin with at least 2cm of flesh.
  5. Take the inner pulp and mash together with the roasted garlic cloves, salt, cracked black pepper, parsley and creme fraiche.
  6. To make the dressing, mix together mustard, vinegar and nut oil, season to taste.
  7. 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.
  8. Drizzle with some dressing and sprinkle over the crushed sesame seeds.

 

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