We’ve teamed up with our friends at BBC Gardeners’ World to bring you this new series, packed with tips for growing your own, plus ideas from food director Cassie Best for cooking what you harvest
Onions
The backbone of many dishes, onions – whether raw and sharp or caramelised and rich – add depth of flavour. They also boast health benefits, containing antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Caramelised onion, squash & gruyère tart
Take your time caramelising the onions for this dish – cooked slowly over about 20 minutes, they’ll soften and become jammy and sweet. They’re the star of this tart, also punctuated by golden, tender cubes of squash.
SERVES 8-10 PREP 30 mins plus chilling COOK 1 hr 30 mins MORE EFFORT
3 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil 3 onions, halved and finely sliced 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 400g butternut squash (about ½), peeled and deseeded 8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 4 eggs 75ml double cream 75g gruyère, grated
For the pastry
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 125g cold butter, cut into small cubes 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 1 egg, separated
1First, make the pastry. Tip the flour into a bowl, then add the butter and 1 tsp salt. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until it has a damp, sandy texture. Mix in the thyme leaves. Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp cold water, then use a cutlery knife to mix this into the crumbs until the mixture starts to clump together. Tip the pastry onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring together into a smooth dough, adding up to 1 tbsp more water if the pastry feels too dry. Shape into a disc, wrap in baking parchment and chill for 30 mins, or up to a day.
2Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat and cook the onions for 20-25 mins until softened and caramelised. Stir in the red wine vinegar and sugar, and cook for 1-2 mins more until the vinegar has bubbled away. Leave to cool slightly.
3Cut the squash into 1cm cubes, then tip into a roasting tin and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and some seasoning. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
4Unwrap the pastry and lightly dust the parchment with flour. Roll the pastry out on the parchment until it’s about 1/2cm thick and large enough to line the base and side of a 26cm fluted tart tin. (If the edges start to crack as you roll, squeeze them back together.) Keep turning the pastry as you roll it out to make sure it’s an even thickness and doesn’t stick to
