Cuisine – In season and delicious

Pumpkin is such a delicious and versatile vegetable, and while generally popular for soups or roasting, there are lots of interesting ways to cook this sweet, nutritious filling vegetable. There are several varieties of the squash family, including the most commonly sold butternuts and crown pumpkins, but also many heirloom and hybrid squash that come in all sizes.

Peeling their skins is not only a waste of time, but is also a waste of good roughage. Make sure you wash the pumpkin or squash well before cutting it up. Roasting the butternut or buttercup with the skin on results in a lovely crisp texture and also holds the pieces of squash together rather than letting them collapse when cooked.

The less water you use while cooking pumpkin, the better, as it quickly becomes mushy and watery.

Roasting is the preferred way to cook, as the flavour develops lots of sweetness and the texture is maintained.

Pumpkin is also a perfect vegetable to pair with spices. In the recipe this week I have used ginger, but other spices that are equally great are cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, coriander, black pepper and nutmeg.

I love pomegranate syrup (found in speciality food stores) which pairs beautifully with the pumpkin, but if that’s a stretch too far, you can always substitute runny honey or a good quality balsamic. Those pretty fresh pomegranate arils have become very popular and certainly give the dish a great look, with their jewel-like appearance. But equally, some chopped nuts and seeds or a spice mix like dukkah would be a great alternative.

And at this time of the year, when the herbs in the garden are only just starting to perk up, use perennially popular mint or parsley to bring a lovely fresh look to your dish.

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Roasted Pumpkin Wedges with tahini and yogurt dressing

½ crown pumpkin
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
For the dressing:
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
I lemon, finely grated rind and juice
Pinch salt
3 tbsp balsamic syrup or pomegranate syrup
To finish:
A handful fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp pomegranate arils (seeds) or 2 tbsp dukkah (chopped nuts and spices)

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking pan with baking paper.

Cut the pumpkin into even wedges, about 6cm thick, with a sharp knife. Discard all the seeds but leave the skin on, as it helps to keep the shape of the pumpkin as it softens in the cooking process.

Mix the oil with the salt and pepper and ginger and smear this over the wedges on all sides. Place into the baking dish and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the pumpkin is soft when pierced with a sharp knife. Let the pumpkin cool a little.

Meanwhile, put the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon rind and juice in a bowl and whip everything together until well mixed. Taste, and add a teaspoon or two of the syrup or some honey to make it slightly sweet.

To serve, pile the wedges onto a serving plate and spoon the yogurt mix over, then place the mint leaves around the pumpkin. Finally drizzle over the rest of the pomegranate syrup (or balsamic) with the pomegranate arils.

(If you can’t find fresh pomegranate arils, you could dice a little red pepper or firm tomato to decorate and add that lovely colour.)

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Great to accompany lamb chops, chicken or steak, or simply served as a first course with crusty bread. Serves 4.