Pumpkin - or courgette - pie

[Black Forest Dan]

It's more traditional and has a deeper flavour with pumpkin, but you can also use courgettes if you've been a bit too successful and don't know what to do with them all - enjoy!

Pastry:
100g soft margarine
175g plain flour, sifted
15ml water

Filling:
500g pumpkin or courgette (finished weight)
2 beaten eggs
100g caster sugar
60ml milk
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon

Method:
Remove skin and seeds from pumpkin or courgettes, cut into 1 inch cubes. Steam for 15 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and mash well with a fork or puree in a blender.

To make the pastry, place the margarine, 30g of the flour and the water in a mixing bowl. Cream it together with a fork for half a minute until well mixed. Then mix in the remaining flour gradually to make a fairly soft dough, using the blade of a knife to mix. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board and line a 20-24cm deep flan dish. Trim and decorate the edges. Chill the pastry in the fridge while you make the filling.

Beat the eggs with the sugar in a bowl; add the pumpkin/courgette puree, milk and spices. Blend well and pour into the pastry case.

Bake in a hot oven (220°C) for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to moderate (180°C) and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the filling is set.

Serve warm with cream, or it's also delicious cold from the fridge.

[Black Forest Dan]