Ingredients
- 1-2 gem squash, cut in half, seeds removed and cut into even sized wedges (Ettrick Gardens)
- 200g Fresh walnuts (NZ Nuts)
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, bruised (lightly squashed) (Ettrick Gardens)
- 1 Tbsp honey (Blueskin Bay Honey, Bennies Honey)
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 4-6 tsp good quality oil (Dunford Grove)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
HONEY ROAST GEM SQUASH WITH WALNUTS
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C
- Place the prepared gem squash on a baking dish, drizzle over a little oil and honey
- Season with salt, pepper and a one teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves and toss to combine
- Roast until golden and tender (10minutes) turning once through cooking
- Whilst they are cooking place the walnuts on another baking tray and toast lightly in the oven for 2-5 minutes
- Give them a shake to move them around a little
- You need to watch them as they will colour fast and you don’t want blackened nuts as they are bitter
- Remove and set aside to cool
- In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic clove and rosemary and pound to a paste
- Add the walnuts and crush together
- Then add a drop of red wine vinegar, spoon of honey and drizzle in enough olive oil to form a thick paste
- Taste for seasoning and then adjust for balance it should be evenly flavoured
- Serve the hot roasted gem squash with the walnut paste drizzled over
- I also like to scatter over a few wild rocket or any robust pepper leaves as it adds a freshness at the end
Comments
Gem squash are sometimes known as cannon balls, because of their shape and colour. They are about the size of a grapefruit with a green exterior and orange flesh. They're related to pumpkins and butternut squash. Their outer skin is a tough protection for the sweet flesh inside. Unlike pumpkins, their seeds generally aren't eaten. They are also a good source of beta-carotene (for vitamin A production), as well as Vitamin C and anti-oxidants.
