A delicious savoury dish that can be served warm or cold for lunch, dinner or as part of a picnic. This recipe can also be adapted to use up whatever vegetables you have left in the fridge. 

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:
225 g plain flour
56 g butter
56 g lard
Pinch of salt
Cold water

For the filling:
1/2 medium butternut squash, diced
2 small red onions, 1 diced and 1 sliced into rings
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
4 eggs
3/4 pint full fat milk or cream
170 g mature cheddar, grated
Few chives, chopped
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5.
  2. Grease a 9” fluted, loose bottom flan dish.
  3. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
  4. Add the diced butter and lard, rub fat into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  5. Add a little water and bring together to form a ball.
  6. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  7. Once chilled, roll the pastry out and blind bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry begins to dry out.
  8. In a frying pan sweat the diced onion and squash in a little vegetable oil for 5 minutes, add the peppers and continue to cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the squash begins to soften. Set aside. 
  9. Whisk eggs with the milk or cream and season well.
  10. Sprinkle the pastry case with half of the cheddar cheese before adding the vegetable mixture. 
  11. Pour in the egg mixture and top with the remaining cheese, red onion rings and chopped chives.
  12. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture has set and is a golden brown colour.

Alternative fillings:

Blue cheese, caramelised onion and leek 
Goats cheese, courgette and thyme
Asparagus, smoked salmon and feta

Serves 6.