I don’t know about you, but I feel like we got let off quite lightly this winter. With a bit of warmth in the air and as much blue skies as grey these past few weeks I find myself getting excited at the thought of the warmer months ahead, and all the good vibes they brings. You know, holidays, longer days, warmer nights, celebrations and catch-ups with friends, and food. Always food.
When Castello recently contacted me to work on a campaign for their newly released Castello Marquis cheese, I knew I wanted to come up with something that screams of good times. Admittedly I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to strong cheeses, I prefer mild creamy bries and havartis. If you’re like me, I have a feeling this buttery Marquis might be a little bit of you. Rich and creamy with just enough bite to let you know you’re not eating camembert, I like to think of it as the ice-breaker for people like me. Who knows, maybe if I eat enough of this I might one day grow up to like rich ripe blue cheese? Baby steps aye…
Knowing how full-flavoured the Marquis was I decided to pair it with naturally sweet pumpkin to round things out. The crisp grain-free tart cases are ah-mazing, and add a lovely earthy crunch. Further crunch comes in the form of a thyme-spiked honey-sweet walnut crumb scattered over top, though to be honest, those crumbs could just as easily find themselves strewn over porridge or yoghurt for breakfast… the perfect combination of salty, sweet and herbaceousness that I love. I can also imagine Marquis paring nicely with a salad of casually sliced chunks of peach, some toasted walnuts and a little rocket (arugula) come summer time, or topped with olive oil and thyme roasted grapes for a cheese board people will talk about for days…
GIVEAWAY: To be in the draw to win one of two $50 Castello cheese vouchers, head on over to my Facebook or Instagram page to enter.
Combine sunflower seeds, tapioca, walnuts, chia, salt and baking powder in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add apple cider vinegar and water, then pulse until the mixture comes together. Turn dough out onto your bench and knead lightly to bring it together. Place onto a sheet of baking paper and slightly flatten with your hands, top with another sheet of baking paper and roll out to approx. 3-4mm thick. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut rounds from the dough and line each patty pan, gently pushing the dough in with your fingers. Roll out the scraps and repeat until you have all 24 pan lined. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden, swapping trays around halfway to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cases to a wire rack to cook further. These tart cases can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
While the tart cases are cooking, skin the pumpkin and cut into bite-sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over thyme, season with salt and pepper. Once the tart cases are out, roast the pumpkin 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, puree into a small food processor until smooth, add a touch of lemon juice, check seasoning, then set aside until needed, or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. this can be done 2-3 days in advance.
When the pumpkin comes out of the oven, combine walnut pieces, thyme and honey on a small tray, season with salt and pepper, then toast 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and crisp up. This can be prepared 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight jar.
To serve, pipe or spoon a little pumpkin puree into each tart case, top with a generous slice of Castello Marquis, then scatter with a little walnut thyme crumb. Serve immediately.
This post is sponsored by Castello. As always, all views are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies who allow me to continue to bring you content, completely free of charge.
3 Responses
Perfect timing,all the pumpkin and squash are ready here!
Great idea for something gorgeous for a catering gig,might turn it into a soup with the crumble and cheese on top!
Yum, yum and yum. These look and sound divine and I cant wait to try them soon.
Thank you! Enjoy x