DIG IN TO AUTUMN

by Pippa Mattei

Photography by Julia Boikova

Whilst Malta does not have a typically leafy Autumn season, it is nevertheless a time of temperate weather, cooler winds, and if we are lucky, plenty of rain, bringing our gardens back to life and providing us with delicious fruit and vegetables directly from our precious rural areas. A visit to the Farmers’ Market in Ta’ Qali, or indeed any local greengrocer or vegetable truck is always inspirational; at this time of year it is bursting with Autumnal produce grown locally, and as it is seasonal there is often a glut of vegetables that can be taken home and transformed into soups, stews, pickles, relishes and chutneys. As the temperatures cool down, and we are able to take longer walks in the countryside and along our shores, we sigh with relief at the sight of nature’s revival, and as our appetites return, we yearn for soups and pies made with local, nutritious ingredients. I have shared here a recipe for my favourite Autumn soup made with Maltese pumpkin, as well as instructions on how to make ‘Qassatat’ and finally ‘Bones’, biscuits in the shape of bones eaten on All Souls’ Day, which takes place on the second of November.

Pippa Mattei is an established home cook and food writer who has published several award-winning books that focus on Maltese cuisine and the traditional food that we eat throughout the year. Pippa organises market visits and provides cooking lessons in her lovely home and garden for individuals and small groups looking to discover more about what we grow and how we cook in Malta and Gozo.

www.pippamattei.com

Qassatat Ricotta and Ġbejniet Pies, a Gozitan Recipe

Serves 12

To make these, you will need six fresh ġbejniet that have been left to dry for a couple of days until they no longer release liquid. You can make your own or buy ready prepared ġbejniet from a good source, and mix these with ½ kilo of ricotta. In the absence of ġbejniet, you can make these Qassatat with one kilo of ricotta.

INGREDIENTS

- 6 soft, fresh ġbejniet (local goat or sheep cheese), left to dry for a couple of days. - 500g ricotta - 5 eggs - 500g plain flour - 125g margarine - 125g white fat such as ‘Trex’. - 1 tsp salt - Some oil or extra margarine - Handful sultanas - Handful fresh broad beans (ful) - 3 dried ġbejniet - Extra margarine or oil to brush over pastry, about 2 tbsps. METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

To make the pastry, sift the flour and a pinch of salt, into a large bowl, then cut up the fat into small squares, and add these to the flour.

Rub this in with your hands, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix one egg yolk into half a cup of cold water and mix this into the flour mixture and mix altogether with your hands until you have a firm but soft dough.

Wrap this in greaseproof paper and put in the fridge while you make your filling.

Separate the three eggs into yolks and whites, placing in different bowls.

Put the ġbejniet and ricotta into another bowl and add the egg yolks.

Whisk the egg whites till very stiff and add these to the ricotta mix.

Add salt and pepper, and now separate your filling into two. Into one half put the handful of peeled broad beans which you toss in heated butter adding some salt and pepper, and into the other half add the handful of sultanas.

Take the dough out of the fridge and bring to room temperature and on a floured surface, roll out the pastry. Onto this spread some margarine or some olive oil.

First divide the dough into three, then again into 6 and then 12. Roll out these balls to form circles and place two tablespoons of the filling into the centre, using the sultana mixture for half the pastry, and the broad bean mixture for the rest.

Brush the edges with a beaten egg and press the circle edges together to form a ‘money purse’ shape, leaving the centre showing through. Brush this with more of the beaten egg, and the put your pies onto a greased oven tray, putting these into a pre-heated oven, and bake till golden and pastry is cooked all round, for 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then eat warm or at room temperature. Serve the individual pies alongside a leafy salad.

Maltese Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

In the colder months, nothing is better than a warming soup. The Maltese pumpkins which are round, with a flattened top and base, and a green, yellow or orange ribbed rind, grow to enormous sizes, and the orange or yellow pulp is bought in large slices directly from the greengrocer’s shop or van. Once the seeds and fibre are removed, the juicy flesh is an excellent ingredient for a creamy soup.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 ½ kilos (3 lbs 12 oz) orange pumpkin or 1 kilo pumpkin and ½ kilo white or yellow pumpkin (Qara Tork), or butternut squash - 2 large potatoes, peeled - 2 large onions, peeled - 1 stick celery - 3 carrots, peeled - 1 tablespoon butter - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 2 chicken stock or vegetable cubes - Salt and pepper - 1 litre (2 pints) water - Garnish - Cream (optional) - Parsley (optional) METHOD

Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Chop all the vegetables roughly and toss in the fats for three minutes. Add the celery, seasoning and cubes, and water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer until all the vegetables are soft, usually about 30 minutes.

Remove the celery and discard. Liquidise the soup in a food processor, keeping it thick and adding one tablespoon of butter. Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream, and possibly some fresh chopped parsley.

NB — To make a thicker soup, some cooks like to add two tablespoons of soaked semolina when heating the soup, after it has been puréed syrup, peach juices & garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Għadam tal-Lewż Maltese ‘Bone’ Biscuits

Serves 8

The 2nd of November is All Souls day — the grateful dead! A rather spooky tradition is to bake and eat almond-filled ‘bone’ biscuits, similar to the Easter Figolli recipe. Lots of fun making these with the family, and a tasty treat for all!

INGREDIENTS

- 356g plain flour - 175 sugar - 175 margarine or butter - Grated rind of one lemon - 2 egg yolks (keep one white for the almond filling)

For the filling:

- 175g blanched almonds, ground in a processor - 80g sugar - A little fresh lemon juice - 1 egg white - 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (ilma zahar) METHOD

Mix flour and sugar in a bowl, add the margarine or butter cut up into pieces and mix altogether until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the grated rind and egg yolks. Mix well until it becomes a fairly firm dough. Only add a little water if necessary. Set aside.

To make the filling, mix the ground almonds with the sugar, lemon juice, egg white and blossom water. Mix very well by hand or in a processor. Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

On a floured surface roll out the dough very thickly. With a sharp knife cut out bone shapes, place almond filling on top half the shapes, and then place the rest of the bone pastry shapes on top, adding a little water at the edges if needed to seal the biscuits. The shapes should be quite large, say 10cm in length, and you should yield about 5 or 6 biscuits. Carefully place on a lightly greased oven tray (use a metal shovel) and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before placing on wire racks to cool before icing the tops with a thick glacé icing (sieved icing sugar mixed with a little lemon juice until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon).