Butternut Squash, Mushroom & Gorgonzola Quiche

I grew up eating quiche. It evokes light summer dinners in the garden and a surprise piece nestled in my lunch box. My mum can whip one up in no time; a talent I'm yet to master.

This is my grown-up take, full of fresh rosemary and mushrooms. You can switch out the rosemary to sage for my favourite butternut squash herb pairing. I always hope it will last us a few meals but it seems to be devoured within a day or two!

Ingredients- makes one 10inch quiche

Pastry:
200g plain flour
100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 tsp flaky salt
Cold water

Filling:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and sliced into 1cm thick slices
200g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
3 springs of rosemary, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper
100g Gorgonzola

Custard:
300ml double cream
3 eggs
Salt/Pepper

Method

Lightly butter your quiche dish or tart tin, and set aside.

For the pastry; place the flour, salt and cold butter into a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until you have some larger pieces of butter and some that look like breadcrumbs. Slowly add in a few tbsp of water, while mixing, until the pastry comes together. Don't overmix the pastry here or it will be tough.

Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out so it is approximately an inch wider than your quiche dish on all sides. Gently roll up the pastry on your rolling pin and unfold over your prepared quiche dish or tart tin. Using your fingers, gently press the pastry down into the corners and into the crimped grooves around the edge of the tin. Trim off any excess pastry using a sharp knife and prick the base with a fork. Place into the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 175°C.

In the meantime, you can prepare the vegetables. Place the butternut squash into a roasting tin with a few glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until cooked. Leave to one side to cool.

Place a saucepan over medium heat and add in a tbsp of olive oil. Add in the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the sliced mushrooms and rosemary. Cook until the mushrooms have wilted slightly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Once your pastry has rested in the freezer, place a piece of crumpled baking paper inside that covers the base and sides. Fill it with baking beans and blind bake for 20-25 minutes or until very pale. Take the tin out of the oven and remove the baking beans and paper. Return back to the oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden brown.

When you're ready to bake your quiche whisk together the cream, eggs and a good pinch of both salt and pepper. In your blind-baked tart case, place half of the mushroom/onion mixture, followed by a layer of butternut squash. Tear the Gorgonzola into chunks and sprinkle over the squash. Finish by layering the rest of the mushroom mixture before pouring in the custard.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until set and lightly golden around the edges. Leave to cool before slicing and serving. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.