The Gourd, the Bad and the Ugly...

A Celebration of Winter Squash

It’s a terrible pun, I know. But, there’s a good reason I went for it.

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As I was trundling back from the store, a crate of gnarly squashes in the seat next to me, I had one of those simple moments of unadulterated contentment.

The sun was low-slung, casting long, golden, shadows from the firework-like trees and shining an extra glow upon their already scarlet-auburn hue. The road too ‘lay leaved with October blood’ and as I pootled homeward a song began drifting from the radio. In the zeal reserved only for those by themselves in a car, I turned up the volume and took myself to the Wild West.

To try and eek the pun out a little further, this post is not a celebration of the spaghetti western but, of the winter squash season… Spaghetti squash included (I’ll stop now). In terms of the good, the bad and the ugly… The wide array of varieties certainly fulfils each character’s casting call. Although, ugly may be a little harsh - perhaps Jolie-Laide would be more appropriate.

For me, the more charismatic their appearance the better. I’m drawn to the ones that look swamp-like, with nobbly skin and fiery autumnal colours and extraordinary names like ‘Red Warty Thing’ (real variety). Even the way squash grows is a little alien, with long tendrils creeping around our allotment and sneaking their way onto our neighbour’s plots.

The stove in our home is constantly kept occupied with them. One squash will easily feed us for a few days with many creations being garnered from it. Whether it be a velvety soup or a roast pumpkin risotto, or simply enjoyed on their own... Like the aforementioned spaghetti squash. Baked over the embers in our wood burner and scoffed down with parmesan, garlic and plenty of salt and pepper.

There is though, a little part of me, that despairs slightly when heading into the supermarket at this time of year. Whilst the varieties available have expanded, it feels like many are only there to be purchased as Halloween decorations.

In one shop yesterday, mini squashes were priced as low as 69p each. Their varieties not mentioned, just a jumbled box of different shapes, sizes and colours, all with one, amazing, yet worryingly low, identical price.

Affordability is of course important, though with an estimated 8 million pumpkins going to waste in the UK alone each year - It would be nice if they were a little less disposable.

And so, consider this edition of Gather as a tiny rallying call (although, as you’ve clicked on this title, you’re probably already a squash lover!).

A rallying call to go big or gourd home.

Below, I have two recipes that make the most of these amazing fruits. One is for a beautiful squash and cottage cheese bake. Perfect for a lunch or a warming supper.

The other is a sweet and sour, cider braised squash served on a whipped tofu. The sweetness is provided through the addition of prunes and they’re balanced with a little tartness of apple cider vinegar. Plus, there is a shed load of sage and rosemary. Again, perfect for a veggie lunch… Or if you’re meaty, a nice accompaniment to leftover pork.

As ever, thank you for your support and reading this week’s edition of Gather. I’d love to know if you try the recipes for yourself as well as any additions you may make. I’ll leave you with a little snap from yesterday evening’s amble with the dog… Just to set the mood for cooking up some spooky squash.

Recipes

Roasted Squash and Cottage Cheese Bake w/Carraway and Sage

Feeds 4 comfortably - start to finish is around 2 hours, although it’s easy to get ahead and roast the squash whenever you have the stove warm

Ingredients

1x Decent-sized squash or 2x Smaller ‘decorative’ varieties - Halved with seeds scooped out - Crown Prince, Carnival, Kabocha or the everyday Butternut all work well

1 tsp Caraway seeds

6x Garlic cloves (unpeeled)

160g Baby Spinach

500g Cottage cheese (or ricotta)

50g Cheddar cheese - grated

Sprinkle of chilli powder

1 tsp Dried Sage

1 egg

Method

1. Heat your oven to 180C fan. Place the squashes and garlic cloves in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the carraway seeds, season well with salt, and drizzle over a little olive oil. Bake for around an hour (Or until the squashes have softened) Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cheddar, dried sage, and chilli powder (the amount of which I’ll leave to your discretion depending on how much of a kick you like). Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and mush with a fork. Add them to the bowl alongside the egg and some salt. Stir well to combine.

3. Scoop out the squash in large chunks and place in the mixing bowl - If the rind is soft, I don’t bother scooping it out. Instead, I tear the squash into pieces keeping the skin on. Gently stir these through the cottage cheese mixture, along with the spinach and then pour into an appropriately size gratin dish.

4. Top with extra caraway seeds and a little grated cheddar. Bake for about 25 minutes. It will be loosely set with a crisp, golden top.

Cider Braised Squash with Apple, Prunes and a bed of whipped Tofu

Feeds 4 - takes around an hour

Ingredients