My winter garden is looking quite neglected at the moment. Soon I will spend the day in there, planting broad beans, sweet peas, more cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and preparing the soil for spring. I also aim to turn over the compost and dig in the horse manure I just purchased, then cover the soil with cardboard and newspapers, ready for planting in a month or two.
I still have a pumpkin or two leftover from last year’s harvest. They came out quite small, but bright and tasty.
We seem to be having this a few times a week as an accompaniment to any meal I make. Last night it was this dal with a bean and broccoli palya. Or my favourite, this mung bean dish with roasted tomatoes added to the pumpkin. It is also lovely with a salad of kale or spinach. The golden colour is right up there with the freshly picked, squeezed orange juice we have been having most mornings.
roasted kabocha pumpkin
Serves 4 as a side dish
The kabocha pumpkin is much sweeter than other pumpkins and the texture is smooth and creamy – very much like a cross between a sweet potato and a pumpkin. It’s packed with fibre, beta-carotene, iron, Vitamin C and B vitamins.
The outer skin becomes soft and sweet when it’s roasted, so no peeling is necessary. It is packed with great nourishment.
ingredients
1 whole/2 small kabocha pumpkins (or any pumpkin will work fine)
1 Tbsp ghee, melted
1 tsp coarse rock salt
freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
preparation
1. Heat the oven to 400F/200C.
2. Scrub the pumpkin, cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Take one of the halves, lay down on its flat side, and cut the kabocha into 1-inch slices.
3. In a large bowl, gently toss the pumpkin with melted ghee, salt, a couple of grinds of freshly ground black pepper, a good pinch of red pepper flakes, and the thyme. Mix everything together with your hands.
4. Arrange the squash on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife and charred along the edges.
Goodness shared by Stacey
