I bought a butternut squash

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh oregano
half a large butternut squash, peeled, halved, deseeded & cut into small bite-size chunks
1 whole head of garlic, separated into cloves but UNPEELED
4 tsp Marigold bouillon powder
1 litre boiling water
40g unsalted butter [optional, use more oil for vegan!]
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
300g arborio or carnaroli rice
100ml dry white wine

Preheat oven to 200c/gas mark 6

Roast the squash and garlic, and 1 sprig oregano, with half the oil plus salt and pepper in a small roasting tin for about 25 mins.

when tender and lightly browned (may need to be turned halfway through) remove veg from oven. Chuck out oregano and remove garlic skins.

Strip leaves from remaining oregano stalks. Bash leaves with remaining oil in a pestle and mortar until it forms a puree.

Put Marigold powder and boiling water in a saucepan and keep simmering over low heat.

Saute the shallots and chilli in the butter [or oil] until soft and barely coloured (5-10 mins). Add the rice and cook for 2 mins til shiny/translucent. Turn up heat and add the wine, let it bubble for 1 min then reduce heat.

Add the stock a ladle at a time for about 20 mins, stirring almost constantly. After 20 mins taste the rice - should be tender but not soggy. Add the roasted veg and the oregano puree, stir gently so as not to squish the squash! When squash is heated through again and the rice is tender (add more stock if necessary), remove from heat and serve immediately.

I make a pretty decent spicy veg hot pot thing with squash and sweet potato and cauliflower. I recently discovered this great Turkish honey which consists of nuts packed into a jar, filled with honey. A spoon of this in the hot pot works a treat.

Yum again.

Some friends served roasted acorn squash at dinner last week and I was surprised to find the skin just as tender and edible as the insides. Thought it would be tough.

kabocha (my favourite squash) flesh is also perfectly edible.

beautiful, poetic thread title

Belle and sebastien really went downhill after this one

there was a squash dip i had recently that I think had tumeric and ginger in it. It was like a nice alternative to hummus.