Autumn is the season of squash.
This is an early post I found on a mining the past exercise last week.
I cooked it again and the recipe didn’t disappoint–in fact we finished the lot as we’d done way back in February 2011.
Butternut squashes dress modestly in light fawn leaving their showier cousins in orange and red to hog the limelight around this time of year–Halloween and Toussaint.
Under the skin though they show their true colors.
A wonderful autumn glow emerges, mustardy yellow–warming heart and body–as in the soup below (recipe here).
“What’s on the menu today?”
“Gratin of one of us”
“Scary–after you, ClaudeI”
This is delicious–I’ll stick my neck out.
We had it with some seasoned quinoa (sautéed onion, garlic, a small chili and a little steamed broccoli) last night for dinner and finished the lot.
The recipe is adapted from one in The New York Times*, which in turn was adapted from a recipe in a cookbook by a legendary American food writer**, who most likely adapted it from something he ate in a restaurant in Provence***, which was probably invented by the grandmother of the restaurant owner****–who had passed it on to her daughter*****.
In other words it’s a version of a traditional seasonal gratin dish.
It can be eaten as a vegetarian main course as we did last night or as an accompaniment to a roast chicken or lamb chops–for instance.
for 4
1kilo/2 lbs of butternut squash–peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks
4 cloves of garlic–peeled and chopped small
1 generous tablespoon of wholewheat breadcrumbs
1 generous tablespoon of parsley--chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
set the oven to 190C/375F
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and turn them over and over mixing them thoroughly together and remembering to season well with the salt and pepper.
Tip into a roasting tray or better still an earthenware ovenproof dish.
Roast in the middle of the oven, for about an hour and a half–(the time depends on the size of the chunks)–so it comes out nicely charred on top.
* Martha Rose Shulman
** Richard Olney–author of Simple French Food
***, ****, ***** All three names lost in the mists of time!
Robin Ellis 
Looks so good. A great harvest this year from down t’allotment and the nice thing is they store well so I have plenty of time to try this and the soup out many time thank you
Ooh more squash to slip past the noses of my disapproving spouse and kid! I made the zucchini coins last night and they actually ate them! I think they were shamed into it, as our dinner guest attacked them with gusto! And they WERE delicious. The smaller they were, the tastier, interestingly.
Thanks so much!
Nancy N
Good tip about the smaller they are… Nancy–thank you.
I love to roast my butternut squash. Thank you for the tips on what to put with them. Will definitely try this combination. Thank goodness the squash will store as I still have plenty of tomatos, not to mention curly kale, Swiss chard, beans etc to eat up.
Lucky you–or well done for all the hard work!
…another winner, Robin! I was in a bit of a hurry when I made this, so I put it in the microwave for a few minutes before putting it in my main oven. This helped me cut the cook time in the oven by half. (However, I didn’t get a great char effect on top — so there was a cost for this time-saver.) Also, I added a little grated parmigiano.
Sounds good anyway, Chris. I shall make it again next week–I love it.
Dear Robin & Meredith,
Hope the terrible weather we’re seeing on the news (UK, Germany, France) isn’t hitting your area! Scary!! Or perhaps you’re in Italy now, doing the olive harvest?? Anyway, stay safe!!
Cheers & hugs!
Dianne & Gene, in a calmer but chillier New England (leaves still gorgeous!)
Thanks Dianne–a beautiful autumn day here. The storm has passed in the UK. I remember those leaves so well!