AUTUMNAL PLEASURES Words: Daniel Nowland
T
he changing of the season is always a fun time for those who love to cook. The new climate, the colours of the trees and the seasonal produce are always a novelty, especially in the time between autumn and Christmas.
Root veg really is the star of the show in autumn, and many of the products that you may see on supermarket shelves all year from countries such as Mexico or Peru, will suddenly be from Lincolnshire of Suffolk! Although perhaps a little cliche for autumn, I wanted to talk about squash and give you some ideas for their versatility.
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The squash family includes many shapes and sizes from the massive pumpkins we see in October, to the artistic looking delicata or spaghetti varieties. The most readily available variety is probably the butternut squash, mainly because it is extremely versatile, has a great ratio of edible flesh and is easy to prepare. Some of the more obscure varieties can taste fantastic, but take some skilled kitchen surgery to get the best from them. The other big benefit of butternut squash is that providing it is roasted for long enough, the skin is deliciously soft and perfectly edible.
