It is a national tragedy that we don’t appreciate pumpkins more in this country. Other than carving them into ghoulish and grisly faces to adorn our windows, we seem to ignore them for the rest of the time they are in season.
Of course, butternut squash are also in the pumpkin family, or rather pumpkins are in the squash family. Did you know that pumpkins are really a fruit and are related to cucumbers and melons? And for all these years I thought I was roasting a vegetable!
My favourite pumpkins are the Crown Prince variety. They have a blue-grey skin and a bright orange flesh. The flesh has a great flavour and is further enhanced when it is roasted with the skin on, with loads of oil and salt. These sweet-tasting pumpkins are also great in pies, stews and soups. Try making a pumpkin and chorizo soup, it always goes down well on cold, autumnal days.
How to cook pumpkin wedges with wild mushrooms and feta
Cut your pumpkins in quarters and scoop out the flesh and seeds (these can be fermented with 2 per cent salt, but that's for another column). Portion your pumpkins into manageable wedges. There is no need to peel them. That's a trick I learned from Jamie Oliver many moons ago. Oil the wedges and place on an oven tray. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Finish with a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
Roast at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin starts to become soft. Add a large handful of chopped mushrooms (winter chanterelles are good, but any exotic mushroom will do, such as oyster or shiitake). Toss together and roast for five minutes. Finally, crumble in half a block of feta (or St Tola feta-style) and bake until the feta melts unctuously over the other ingredients. Sprinkle some chopped flat-leaf parsley over the entire dish and serve. If serving as a main course you can add some hazelnuts and rocket leaves to make the dish more substantial.
