Good Gourd! (butternut squash stuffed with stilton and walnuts)
The best thing about eating seasonally is the renewed excitement for vegetables that might once have been run of the mill. Ok, so some well and truly run their course and you get a bit tired of them by the end (think courgettes and you know where I’m coming from) but remember, next year you will be excited to see them all over again. I actually let out a squeal of excitement when I opened my veg box last week and found an entirely different customer – a butternut squash nestled proudly amongst the goodies inside. This then sparked a frantic scrambling around in the fridge for other ingredients. You might think, ‘if you’re so damn excited about it, why don’t you just roast it with olive oil and seasoning?’ but I wasn’t in the mood. A quick search revealed the end of a block of stilton and some walnuts left over from my tart, which I combined with some thyme and shallots to make a delicious, creamy-sweet and comforting stuffing. Some chopped bacon would make a great addition here – some lardons of salty porkiness to cut through the rich filling.
The tough skins of winter squashes make them perfect for roasting and ideal as a vessel for other ingredients. It also means that they can be stored for long periods of time, so no need to feel guilty when you realise you’ve forgotten about yours for a couple of weeks. I find the variety so exciting – so many different shapes and colours, most of which taste remarkably different and look exotic on the kitchen work top. Chris and I resolved to make a Halloween lantern from the small one in the picture above but we succumbed to its charms and ate it roasted as a late night snack.
Butternut squash stuffed with stilton and walnuts
1 butternut squash
A handful of crumbled stilton
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
3 shallots, finely (ish) chopped
A handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil
-Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and fibres. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the chopped garlic.
-Roast the squash at gas 5 until the flesh is very tender when tested with a knife.
-While the squash is roasting, gently soften the shallots in olive oil until translucent.
-Scoop the flesh from the squash into a bowl and combine with the shallots, walnuts, thyme and 2/3 of the cheese.
-Pile the mixture back into the shells and sprinkle with the remaining cheese before roasting for another 15 minutes or so.
I think it would be lovely to make this recipe and serve it as a side dish by putting the roasted halves in the centre of the table and inviting guests to help themselves to spoonfuls of stuffing.
Category: Gluten-free, Side Dishes, Starters, Vegetables 4 comments »
October 16th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
hey there , discovered ur blog thru homesick texan. this pictures definately confirms autumn has began. I’ve tried butter nut squash only on one occasion last year when i was curious as to how it tasted . I found it a bit sweet , and left it at that. Its time again i think to go out n buy some , n try ur beautiful recipe.
October 19th, 2007 at 9:49 am
I love butternut…a forgiving vegetable that you can use just about everywhere and it brings a little sunshine and warmth onto our wintertables…this sounds delicious.
Ronell
October 19th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Hi Helen, hopping on here from facebook. That is a seriously delicious looking recipe there. I am going to have to give it a go. I love all butternut squash in any way shape or form, but stuffed with stilton and walnuts, well it just has to be heaven!
October 20th, 2007 at 12:11 am
My husband and I have already eaten three butternut squash this fall. I started buying them about 10 days ago. You do the math. Your recipe is fantastic! The stilton and walnuts will pair beautifully with the squash. You know, this just reminded me that back in the winter time, I posted on a butternut, walnut, and blue cheese risotto. I guess we have similar tastes!