There are lots of fantastical varieties of squash around now and so this post gives a simple and delicious way to deal with them. Don’t forget to roast the seeds as they are so good and highly nutritious too.
Use this squash as a main with some plain yogurt or labneh and some of the roasted seeds. Some chopped coriander would be good too. Or use it as a side with roasted meats.
This is a very simple recipe, so I am not going to be specific about amounts here: –
Squash – whatever you like the look of. Delicata, Butternut, Crown Prince and Kabocha are all excellent choices for roasting.
Olive oil
Finely grated zest from an orange or a lemon or a lime
Sea salt flakes
Sprigs of thyme or, if you prefer, rosemary.
- Preheat the oven to 180c and lightly grease a large baking tray with a little olive oil
- Make sure the skin of the squash is absolutely clean as they can be a bit muddy
- Cut the squash into chunks leaving the skin on and lay them over the prepared tray, preferably in a single layer.
- Spoon over some olive oil and the orange, lemon, or lime zest and scatter over a generous pinch or two of sea salt flakes. Use your hands to mix the whole lot together so that the squash pieces are glistening in the salty, citrus, oil.
- Put the thyme or rosemary sprigs on top of the squash and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is soft and the skins are nicely coloured.
The seeds from the squash, sprinkled with sea salt flakes and olive oil, can be spread over an oiled baking tray and roasted 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 in these pages: – Butternut Squash – Flesh, Skins, Seeds and Soup
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.
