All three of the main ingredients, in seasonal orange, deep green and golden brown, for this early autumn recipe, should be available to buy from a farmer’s market or farm shop if you have one nearby or from a vegetable box supplier.
This recipe can be eaten as a vegetable accompaniment to roasted meats or with added cheese for a simple lunch or supper.
Enough for 4
Ingredients:
- I medium butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Sea salt flakes
- A few sprigs of thyme or 1 sprig of rosemary
- A couple of handfuls of mushrooms such as Portobello or Chestnut or some mixed wild mushrooms*
- The leaves, from three or four stems of Cavolo Nero, washed and finely sliced.
- A tbsp of sherry vinegar or Apple Balsamic Vinegar
- Finely grated zest from a medium orange if you like
- Optional roasted seeds from the squash**
- Optional grated cheese such as Old Winchester, or Lincolnshire Poacher or thinly sliced Golden Cross or crumbled blue cheese such as Beauvale.
Method: –
- Preheat the oven to 180c and lightly oil a baking tray.
- Wash the squash with cold water making sure it is clean with absolutely no mud.
- Use a sturdy, sharp knife to cut the squash in half, lengthways. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and set them aside.
- Set the two halves of squash on the prepared baking tray.
- Sprinkle the squash with a generous pinch of sea salt flakes and a little olive oil.
- Lay the thyme or rosemary on the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until it is completely tender.
- In the meantime, lightly brush a sturdy pan with olive oil and gently fry the mushrooms turning occasionally but you need to let them get to a deep golden-brown so don’t turn them too often.
- When they are completely cooked (this should take around 30 minutes) add the vinegar and the prepared Cavolo Nero and stir together until the greens have wilted.
- Season with a small pinch of sea salt flakes and perhaps some grated orange zest if you like.
- Pile the mushroom mixture onto the baked squash and put the cheese on the top now if using.
- Reheat in the oven for about 20 minutes or until it is hot.
- The seeds, if using, can be scattered on the top just before serving.
* Unless you are an expert, be sure to buy wild mushrooms from a reputable source. They are often available at farmers markets.
** The seeds from the squash, sprinkled with sea salt flakes and olive oil, can be spread over an oiled baking tray and baked at 180c for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are golden brown and crisp. If you don’t want to eat them straight away, let them cool and then store them in a clean jar, covered with a lid. They will keep well for several weeks but they are so good to eat you will probably use them up very quickly.
See also: – Butternut Squash – Roasted Squash – Polenta with Two Cheeses and Mushrooms
If you want a healthier and more environmentally friendly diet, a good start would be to cook from scratch, avoid buying ready-processed meals, and so avoid foods with a high sugar and salt content. Have a look at food labels, you will likely be amazed by how much salt and sugar is included and, worse, how many of the ingredients are not recognisable as food.
Sherbhert champions delicious, healthy and sustainable food where its production minimises environmental damage, exploitation, animal suffering and subsequent processing. Sherbhert’s recipes are simple and use mainly UK seasonal produce sourced as locally as possible.
Sherbhert occasionally recommends suppliers entirely because of their good produce and ethos.
