Seasonal ingredient of the week: Butternut Squash

IN SEASON: September - October

Fun fact: butternut squash is technically a fruit, and grows on a vine. It’s only in season in the UK in September and October but can be stored in cool conditions for up to 3 months making it a winter staple.

It tends to be denser than sweet potato and not quite as sweet but noticeably sweeter than pumpkin. Once peeled and roasted, that sweetness intensifies, making it a great partner for earthy flavours such as lentils or beetroot. It has high levels beta-carotene, which we convert to vitamin A, which plays an important role in skin health and also supports your immune system (just what we need at the start of winter!).

TIPS:

- Butternut squash can be quite difficult to cut whole. To make things easier, pierce the skin and roast for 20 minutes before cutting.

- Though we’re usually big on leaving the skin on for more nutrients, it can be quite tough on butternut squash. We tend to peel our squash before roasting for better taste.

- If you’re roasting butternut squash to use in a soup, save yourself the hassle of peeling and de-seeding whilst it’s raw - this will be much easier after you’ve cooked it, and will keep the flesh softer (just what you want for soup!)

Recipe:

METHOD

1. Cook quinoa in 3 cups of water with a pinch of salt until the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and put lid on the pot, leave to stand for 5 mins. 

2. Pick the kale off the stalks and then wash and dry the leaves. In 3 batches put the kale leaves into a food processor until it’s coarsely chopped. 

3. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes, then finely slice spring onions and mix all ingredients together in a bowl (quinoa, kale, spring onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil and salt).

Best served with home made houmous and falafel

KALE TABBOULEH
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

- 300g kale
- 2 cups white quinoa 
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 lemons juice + zest
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch spring onion