Pumpkins!

[Podmog]

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Squashes we just peel, cut up and steam. You can mash them down like swede, but we're more likely to just mix them with the general veg in our tea.

Pumpkins you can do the same things, but it's usually better to mash than not. And much easier to boil with skin on and peel after it's cooked. Have to admit I quite like making pumpkin pies.

I also thought you could cook any squash up like you do a marrow (hollow out, mix with other veg, bake it all together in the oven...).

Bake them whole without cutting the skin at all. A 10inch butternut squash takes about an hour or a little more at 180C. It's ready when it gives easily to the touch. Put a drip-tray underneath! Spaghetti squash also works quite well like this, but I tried it once with an ordinary pumpkin and was very disappointed. My dad cuts pumpkin into wedges, dribbles liberally with olive oil (used to use plenty of butter before he became 'healthy' and spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg plus sugar for a sweet dish, or cajun mix for a savoury dish. Mmmmm, giving me ideas for dinner.....

Nigella recipe - bake chunks of mixed veg (whatever you have) including squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, regular potato, peppers and whole unpeeled garlic cloves, with a bit of olive oil at about gas 5 for an hour until cooked through, then cover with very thin slices of halloumi cheese and grill until the cheese browns. Squeeze the garlic over the veg as you eat. Yummy. Very good with thai sweet chilli sauce. It's a meal in itself but you could have it with grilled chicken etc.

I recently made jamie Oliver's stuffed butternut squash recipe although I varied it a bit, made it spicier and used red onion in mine. It was yummy. Needs something crunchy to go with though- I did a mango salsa with ours.

This is a nice soup recipe, we have it a fair bit.

Nigella's Thai Seafood Curry, really nice, uses butternut squash, I have posted the recipe a couple of times, if it appeals try doing a search, any trouble just ask me and I will post it again.