The Recipe

Ingredients.

• 200g puff pastry

• 250g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped

• 1 big handful basil, stalks removed, leaves sliced

• 40g spinach, thinly sliced

• 150g feta cheese

• 200g crème fraîche

• salt

• cracked black pepper

Makes 4 x 10cm tart tins or muffin pans

Method.

1. Take your pastry out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperate to soften. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).

2. Place your chopped butternut squash into a small roasting dish and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a wee sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is cooked through. Leave to cool.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add your red onions. Lightly sauté, stirring in the red peppers when the onions are half cooked, then cook until everything has softened. Leave to cool.

4. Grease your pie dishes and flour your work top. Roll out the pastry into a rough square 2mm thick, then cut into four equal pieces and line the tins. Put the onions, red peppers and butternut squash in a bowl and add the basil and spinach. Crumble the feta into big chunks on top, season to taste and then gently fold the crème fraiche through the vegetable mix. Pile into the waiting tins, dividing the mix equally four ways.

5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and hot. Serve straight away with salad, crusty bread and a glass of vino.

Since adding this recipe to my website, the Mountain Cafe has, unfortunately, had to close down due to the Covid pandemic which, as we know, affected thousands of small businesses up and down the country.

Whilst we miss the cafe terribly, owner Kirsten Gilmour has remained undefeated and has since been operating a new bakery in nearby Grantown-on-Spey.

KJ’s Bothy Bakery has been providing locals and visitors with freshly made bread and cakes throughout lockdown and was able to open a smaller premises in Grantown offering lots of baked goods and her well loved "kick-ass coffee”.

Kristen now has a new website up and running where you can purchase her wonderful cook book, gift vouchers, coffee and even mail order bakes!