SPAGHETTI SQUASH STIR FRY

1 spaghetti squash
200 g mushrooms, sliced
1 courgette, diced
2 cups cooked rice
1 pepper to taste, de seeded and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp cooking sherry

Preheat oven to 190C/ 375F/ Gas Mark 5. Pierce the spaghetti squash with a fork a few times before baking until slightly tender. When the spaghetti squash is done, cut it in half, remove the seeds and inner fibres. Use a fork to remove meat from squash, which will come out in strings. Heat the oil in a large pan (or better still, a wok) and lightly stir-fry the mushrooms, courgette and peppers until soft with half of the sherry. Add the spaghetti strings to the stir-fry with the rest of the sherry and cook until done.

STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1 spaghetti squash
50 g butter
125 g red split lentils
50 g pearl barley
1 medium sized organic onion, peeled and chopped finely
400 g tinned tomatoes
300 ml vegetable stock
100 g Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6. Place the lentils, barley, carrots, onion, tomatoes and their juices and stock into a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and barley have softened. Meanwhile, cut the squash in half and scoop away the seeds. Score the flesh and spread the butter into it. Place the squash onto a baking tray and transfer the lentil mixture into the two halves. Bake in the oven until the flesh begins to soften, about 30 minutes. Take out of the oven, top with the grated cheese and then continue to bake until the cheese has melted.

SQUASH AND PORK RAGOUT

11 ounces butternut squash, cut in half and seeded
3/4 tsp. cumin seed
1/2 lb. chorizo sausage
1-1/4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. oregano
1 quart plus 3 cups water
1-1/4 bay leaves
3/4 small green bell pepper, seeded and minced
10 ounces canned white hominy, drained
3/4 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange squash skin side up in baking pan. Add water just to cover bottom of pan. Cover and bake 50-60 minutes, until squash is tender and cooked throughout. Remove from oven and cool. Peel and cut into bite-size cubes. Meanwhile, toast cumin seed in a heavy non-stick pan over medium high heat about 3 minutes, shaking pan constantly until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and process to a powder. Heat a heavy large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook chorizo 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until browned and cooked through . Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a bowl and set aside. Discard all but 2-Tbs. drippings. Heat reserved drippings in same Dutch oven over medium high heat. Toss pork with flour. Shake off excess and cook 3-4 minutes, in batches if necessary, turning occasionally until browned all over. Transfer to a platter. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano and cumin and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until onion is soft. Return pork to Dutch oven. Stir in water, bay leaves and bell peppers. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer 1 to 1-1/4 hours, until pork is tender, occasionally skimming foam from surface. Stir in squash, chorizo, hominy, jalapeño and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes until hot. Stir in chopped cilantro just before serving.

SUMMER SQUASH AND STRING BEAN SALAD WITH CHICK-PEAS

This appealing mix of steamed vegetables and chickpeas is adapted from a classic southwestern recipe.

2 small yellow summer squashes
2 cups fresh string beans, cut into l-inch pieces
16-ounce can chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons light olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
l/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Dark green lettuce leaves

Scrub the squashes, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Steam them until they are tender-crisp. At the same time, steam the cut string beans separately until tender-crisp. Once done, rinse the vegetables immediately under cold water and allow to drain for a few minutes in a colander. Combine the squash and string beans in a large serving bowl along with all the remaining ingredients except the lettuce. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for several hours. Stir occasionally to distribute the marinade. Arrange each serving on 2 or 3 lettuce leaves.

EASY BUTTERNUT SQUASH GNOCCHI

1 butternut squash, peeled
225 g peeled potatoes
1 free range egg yolk
125 g plain flour
Salt and pepper to taste
125 g butter
2 tbsp fresh sage leaves
Parmesan shavings to serve

Cut the squash and potato into small cubes and steam gently over simmering water until tender. Once cooked, mash together in a clean pan. Place over a low heat for a few seconds to 'dry out'. Transfer to a bowl and allow cooling.Work in the egg yolk, flour, 1/2tsp salt and pepper slowly. Mix together to form a sticky dough. Spoon the gnocchi mixture into a piping bag (like the one you might use for icing) and fit it with a large plain nozzle. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, cook the gnocchi in batches. Pipe about 12 bits of the mixture into the water, cutting them from the end of the nozzle with a sharp knife. Once the water returns to the boil simmer for around 11/2 minutes until the gnocchi start to soften around the edges. Remove and then cook the next batch in the same fashion.Next melt some butter in a frying pan, add the sage leaves and fry gently until the butter turns golden. Immediately add the gnocchi and stir over a low heat for around 30 seconds making sure all the gnocchi is covered in the sage mixture. Serve immediately on bowls and sprinkle generously with Parmesan shavings.

BUCKWHEAT NOODLES WITH SAUTEED SQUASH

1/2 lb buckwheat noodles
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable stock
1 medium courgette, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
6-8 oz fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the noodles and cook at a steady simmer until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain at once and transfer to a covered serving dish. In the meantime, heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the garlic for a minute or two, until golden, then add the wine and squashes. Cook until the squashes are tender-crisp. Add the spinach, cover, and cook just until it wilts. Transfer to the serving bowl and toss with the noodles. Add the Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss again. Serve at once.

LITTLE GEM SQUASH & PECAN NUT CAKE

125 g (4 oz) wholemeal self-raising flour
125 g (4 oz) white self-raising flour
150 g (5 oz) light muscovado sugar
5 ml spoon ground mixed spice 50 g (2 oz) pecan nuts, roughly chopped
½ teaspn vanilla essence Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 little gem squash, peeled, deseeded and coarsely grated
150 ml (1/4 pt) corn oil
2 medium size eggs, beaten
125 g (4 oz) cream cheese 75g/3oz butter, softened
250 g (8 oz) icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin. Place the flours in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, ground mixed spice and pecan nuts. Beat in the vanilla essence, orange zest, grated Little Gem flesh, corn oil and eggs and mix carefully until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and level, making a slight dip in the centre. Bake in the preheated oven on the middle shelf for 1 hour or until risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool slightly then turn out of the tin, remove the greaseproof paper and leave to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth and softened. Beat in the butter with the icing sugar and orange juice until smooth. Cover and keep cool until required. When the cake is completely cool place onto a serving plate and spread over the frosting, swirling into peaks to give an attractive finish.

CREAMY CHILLI SQUASH

1 squash
1 large red onion
1 courgette
10 pieces sun dried tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes )
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chilli oil (or use olive oil, and add dried or fresh chilli to taste)
handful fresh basil (or 2 tsp of pesto)
Handful of pine kernels
salt and black pepper to taste
200 g (7 oz) penne, cooked
2 tbsp crème fraiche
Parmesan or cheddar

Chop the squash into 2cm cubes, removing the seeds. Roughly chop the onion and other vegetables. Heat the oil and chilli oil in a roasting tin for about ten minutes at 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Remove the tin from the oven and set it on a low heat on the hob (so it stays hot). Carefully put the squash and onion into the tin and stir them around to coat them in oil. Return the tin to the oven for about ten minutes, then add the courgette. Add the tomatoes after about another ten minutes. Remove the roasting tin from the oven after a further 15-20 minutes, after which the squash should be quite soft and the onions should be slightly browned. Place the tin back on a low heat on the hob to keep it warm. Add the basil, pine kernels, salt and pepper and penne and mix everything together thoroughly. Add the crème fraîche and mix it in. Serve it immediately with grated cheese on top.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAUSAGE BAKE

The perfect autumn meal! Serve with mashed potatoes and green veggies of your choice. For a one-dish meal, add 2 large chopped potatoes to the recipe and serve with crusty bread. Serves 4

400 g sausages (preferably with herbs), cut into 3 chunks
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into large bit- sized chunks
2 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, or 1.5 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. In a large bowl, combine the sausages, squash, onions, herbs and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish or baking tray, so that everything is in one layer. Bake for between 40 and 60 minutes, stirring once, until the sausages are cooked and the edges of the vegetables have browned.

SQUASH SOUP

Matt Gilfeather, one of our customers kindly sent us this delicious squash soup recipe - we hope you enjoy it!

1 onion chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
1 squash diced
1 sweet potato diced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
600 ml mushroom stock
1 small cup of milk
salt/pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
small knob of butter

Fry the onion, celery in the oil and butter until soft and then add in the squash and potato with the spices. Let it get a bit mushy - about 10 minutes - and then add the stock. Simmer until everything is tender and then add the milk. Just a little bit more cooking and then paste it with the food processor of your choice.

PATTIPAN AND CHICKEN KEBABS

Substitute salmon chunks, squid, large prawns or hard tofu for the chicken, if desired. Serve on top of rice with a small salad or sliced tomatoes for 2.

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried 
3 medium garlic cloves, minced 
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 
2 skinless chicken breast halves, each cut into 6 pieces 
3-4 medium pattipan squashes, quartered 
optional: either a courgette, mushrooms, or onion, cut the same size as the pattipans

Preheat the grill or barbecue. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and lemon peel. Add the chicken, squash and vegetables; marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. Divide the lot between 4 metal (or pre-soaked wooden) skewers, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or barbecue until the chicken is cooked through, turning often, 10-15 minutes.