roast squash with lentils and toasted goat's cheese

 

i know autumn has arrived when squashes and pumpkins appear in the shops and markets. i love trying different types and took full advantage of a recent offer for a mixed selection in my vegetable box.

the gem squash will be boiled and mashed with lots of butter, salt and pepper. i roasted the onion squash for a chorizo, bean and squash salad (similar to this) and the acorn squash was used in a wonderfully simple and very delicious meal of roast squash with lentils and goat’s cheese.

 the acorn squash has a thin skin which means you don’t need to peel it before roasting and eating (this is true for onion and butternut squash as well) and the sweetness contrasts wonderfully with earthy puy lentils and rich tangy goats cheese. i served this with a green salad on the side.

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pea, courgette and lentil salad

this salad has been a godsend for helping me make my way through the courgettes we have been growing, as well as the occasional few which make their way into my vegetable box from food4london.

there isn’t a recipe as such as it’s all about using up what you have in but, broadly, i make it like this – cook some puy lentils, adding a bay leaf to the cooking water/stock (or you could use tinned, rinse them well and then rinse with boiling water so they warm through). add some olive oil, lemon juice and mustard to the warm lentils to create a dressing – the heat of the lentils means they will absorb the dressing flavours more effectively.

cut the courgette into chunks and fry over a low heat in some melted butter until they are just cooked through. while the courgette is cooking, pod your peas and add them to the courgette pan so that some will be cooked and others still raw, adding a nice textural contrast. when the courgette is sufficiently cooked, add salt, freshly ground black pepper, shredded basil and a bit more lemon juice. mix this with the lentils and that’s it. unless of course you fancy oomphing it up with feta or goats cheese.

it keeps well and is good for packed lunches.

stuffed marrow

i’m still loving my puy lentil and mushroom ragu and finding it very versatile. as well as being great with spaghetti or in a lasagne it works well as a stuffing for various vegetables.

this marrow was simply filled with the ragu and topped with lots of grated cheddar before being roasted until the marrow was cooked through and the ragu and cheese bubbling away. if you think marrow is bland, try this way of serving it.

stridently healthy: lentil and savoy cabbage soup

 

the miso soup which i have posted about recently fulfils a very specific need. it’s light, delicious and obviously healthy.

this lentil and savoy cabbage soup is similar except it screams healthiness and worthiness given its star ingredients are cabbage and lentils. this isn’t always a good thing – to make a huge generalisation, boys often need persuading of the virtues of this kind of food!

however, there are definitely days when i need to eat something that is going to make me feel a little bit saintly. whether it’s because i’ve been overindulging, need to be frugal or i just feel that my body needs a dose of healthiness.

the recipe is deceptively simple but tastes fabulous and ticks the saintly box. unless of course you grate over mounds of parmesan and eat it with fresh bread slathered in delicious french bridel butter. but even then it manages to retain an aura of austerity. deluded? moi? surely not…

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