Pumpkins & Squash

No other food epitomises the plenty of autumn like the glorious orange pumpkin - although we may be inclined to underrate its many less flamboyant but very delicious cousins in the extended squash family.

The pumpkin is synonymous with Hallowe’en, and the bigger the better - but, once they’ve been hollowed out, shaped into the traditional spooky face and filled with candles, thousands of families are left with a lot of lovely pumpkin flesh that’s looking for a use.

Look no further than Brian Glover’s beautiful little book, Cooking with Pumpkins and Squash (Ryland Peters & Small, stg£9.99); he explains the diversity of the fascinating cucurbitaceae family - it includes cucumbers, melons and gourds as well as the myriad varieties of squash, ranging from tiny finger-sized courgettes to ‘huge, heavyweight pumpkins that reach the weight of a grown man’.

Brian, a food writer and gardener with a passion for fresh, seasonal food, clearly delights in this versatile ingredient, seeking out the best cooking method for each one, suggesting the flavours that have the best affinity with squashes and pumpkins – and passing his knowledge on in accessible, must-do recipes that are the essence of autumn – a mood beautifully captured by Peter Cassidy’s evocative photography.


Images and recipes courtesy of Ryland Peters & Small,  (£9.99 in UK) from COOKING WITH PUMPKINS AND SQUASH by Brian Glover with photography by Peter Cassidy (£9.99 in UK)



Roasted squash with Leek & Barley Pilaf

Squash and leeks share a similar vegetable sweetness that makes them very good bedfellows. The comforting feather mattress here is the earthy nuttiness of barley, but you could also cook spelt grains (farro) in the same way. All it needs is a green salad in a mustardy soured cream dressing, with a few toasted walnuts tossed through.

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Pumpkin Fondue

Serving fondue in a baked pumpkin shell is not just about fun presentation – the sweet, tender squash is wonderful with the salty, sharp richness of the cheese. Either use a whole, large pumpkin for everyone to dip into or small individual squashes. Serve with cubes of crusty bread for dipping and spoons for scraping the baked squash from the shell. The cheese you use is up to you. I like a mixture of a Gruyere-like cheese (Emmental, Beaufort or Irish Coolea) with a softer cheese such as Taleggio or Fontina.

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Beef Stew with Squash, Sweetcorn & Chilli

Squash, corn and chilli form the holy trinity of southern States cooking. And here they are added to a beef stew that’s packed with spicy flavour and given added richness by the last-minute addition of dark chocolate. You could serve this in a hollowed-out pumpkin shell for real impact.

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Images and recipes courtesy of Ryland Peters & Small,  (£9.99 in UK) from COOKING WITH PUMPKINS AND SQUASH by Brian Glover with photography by Peter Cassidy (£9.99 in UK)