“There is a saying that speaks to my soul on an almost cellular level: ‘If in doubt, add a mountain of garlic.’ But also: ‘Food is love made visible.’ Five words. All the feels,” writes Foodbank Victoria ambassador Chrissie Swan.

And that’s what we get from you: the feels. Without your kindness, we couldn’t do what we do. So here’s a small something for you: dinner on us. Here’s an idea for tea tonight from Chrissie new cookbook The Shortcut Queen, packed with veg and cheesy goodness. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 20 g butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 3 large red onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 800 g kent pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 200 g marinated goat’s cheese
• rocket leaves, to serve
• balsamic glaze, to serve

SOUR CREAM PASTRY

• 250 g very cold salted butter, chopped into small pieces
• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
• good pinch of sea salt flakes (I like it salty!)
• 150 g sour cream

Method

To make the sour cream pastry, throw the butter, flour and salt into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. (Actually, that’s what I’ve always used but maybe it should be the plastic one? Anyway, I digress…) Now you just pulse, pulse, pulse (like with shortbread) until it looks like sand. Add the sour cream and pulse again until it starts to gather together into a ball-type scenario. Seriously, this is all that’s required! As soon as it’s rolling around all together, take the dough out and, even though you’re desperate to bake it, you must wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for a full hour. (I have been known to expedite this process – because I’m greedy – by putting it in the freezer for 20–30 minutes.)

Meanwhile, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Throw in the rosemary sprigs, then turn the heat way down to low and add the onion with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from catching. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up as you don’t want the onion to burn. Add the sugar and cook for a further 5–7 minutes or until caramelised. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced. Toss the pumpkin with the remaining oil on a baking tray and season with salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender. Set aside.

Take your pastry out of the fridge and throw some flour onto a work surface. Sprinkle some more flour on the pastry and roll it out to a large rectangle with a thickness of about 5 mm. Transfer it to a 26 cm x 38cm baking tray. Prick the pastry with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

Take the pastry out of the oven and layer your tart in this order: caramelised onion, roast pumpkin and goat’s cheese. Bake for a further 20 minutes. Pile high with rocket, a good squirt of balsamic glaze and a little extra olive to drizzle.

HEAVEN!

This recipe is from The Shortcut Queen by Chrissie Swan, published by Plum, photography by Mark Roper.