When an ingredient is so beautiful, you want to leave it like that, Alison Lambert writes.
By adding only a few flavours and not tampering with it you end up with quite a magical result.
Whole roast buttercup squash
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1 whole buttercup squash, cut in half horizontally
50g butter
2 Tbsp olive oilfreshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (approx.)
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180degC.
Carefully cut the squash in half horizontally, open out and remove all the seeds.
Place on a baking tray with the flesh side facing up.
Place half the butter on each, generously grate over the nutmeg so the surface has a thin coating.
Add the rosemary leaves, garlic, salt and pepper and drizzle over the oil.
Wrap loosely in foil and bake on baking tray until flesh is tender (approx. 40 minutes).
Remove and serve the halves as they are and scoop out the flesh.
Alison Lambert is one of the demonstrators at the Otago Farmers Market in Dunedin on Saturday mornings.
