Allotments 4 All

Well now this years squash harvest is sat in the spare bedroom  I'm wondering what to do with the collection of 30 or so beauties we've been lucky enough to grow...

We tend to only ever really roast them but this is the first year we've grown more than on plant so now we're thinking is a good time to come up with some more things to do with them... So does anyone have any tried and tested recipies they're able to share?

I'm seeing a load of pumpkin recipies around at the moment, am I right in assuming I could probably swap the pumpkin for any other squash and they'll still work?


Many thanks! :)

There was wonderful squash soup recipe in River Cottage program last week which I'm going try myself..there is many of soup recipes about but this has Thai influence to it..

Chopped onion..softened in oil/butter
add finely chopped ginger, garlic and chilli
Choped up squash
Chiken/vegetable stock
..boil untill tender
Blend smooth
Mix dollop of crunchy peanut butter with ladlefull of squash and add it into soup.
Squeeze some lime juice..season with salt and pepper.
Serve with chopped up coriander and some natural yughurt/cream

Another one of my favourites.. ;D..version of pumpkin pie
Take one ready make pastry case...

Chopped up squash cooked soft with bit of water..blend it into puree..
Sweeten it with brown and/or white sugar
Add some nutmeg and cinnamon and grated lemon zest.
Add 2-3 egg yolks once puree is cooled down and some double cream.
Put mixture in pastry cases..sprinkle little more sugar on surface and cook in low temp in oven untill mixture has set..cool it ( if you can)..and enjoy ;D

Another soup recipe from River Cottage. We lived of this last autumn. Roast slices of squash with some whole garlic cloves, and when nice & cooked scrape all the squash pulp into the blender with the garlic and enough veg or chicken stock to get it to the desired thickness. Season & bob's your uncle.

Could try risotto as well. Did a butternut squash one a couple of weeks ago which was nice & easy. Again, just roast off slices of the squash, make up a plain risotto on the hob and then mix the rice with the squash pulp with a dollop of creme fraiche or cream when both are cooked. Think it might have had some rosemary in it as well.

If you roast them whole have you tried stuffing them, assuming they're not all enormous ones? Can use any mix of rice, breadcrumbs, cheese and other veg that you like.

Pumpkin sponge pudding - it's great with custard ;D
The recipe is in one of my many recipe boxes and I am just off to , but if anyone is interested i will look for it tomorrow.

Curry,with any meat .Hot with chilli sweet with squash-sublime  :)

Squash wedges are a favourite here.

Cut squash into slices about 2cm  thick and place in bowl.

Mix together some olive oil, pepper, chopped chilli if you like it and a small teaspoon of Dunn's River Caribbean Everyday Seasoning (or similar)

Coat the slices with the mixture, they should not be too oily.

Place on baking tray and roast in medium oven, they don't take long.

This works well with butternuts and Bonbons, I haven't tried it with the others yet.

Cuke..you can substitue squash with carrot for any recipe or add into almost any food ..you might not taste it as such, but it gets used up. I chop one up into little cubes and keep it in fridge..when I make...say pasta sauce/ bake or similar I add handfull..yes..curry's too...added into boiling potatoes when making mash is lovely, it will all blend together nicely and and make colour richer too..and any left over mash can used further into cottage pie etc. adding more squash into filling ;D
Your choices are endless ;D

We mostly roast ours or make soup. The soup is simplicity itself: bit of onion, bit of garlic, squash, a little bit of spud, some cumin seeds, ground ginger and stock. Fry onion and garlic, add in cumin and ginger then the potato and squash and pour over stock (veggie). Boil for aabout 20-30 minutes and blitz. Beautiful colour and yummy.

Never made so much soup till I had the allotment. Most seems to freeze well and tastes great. Probably a good way to the five a day as well

I can't do links :'( but there is the Wisley squash/pumpkin soup recipe. I think Saddad asked for it last year. There were lots of deviation on that one.

Thanks all. Some lovely ideas there, I'll give a few a try over the weekend. :)