What’s the recipe today, Jim?

Take a winter (butternut) squash
Cut it in half and place cut-side-down on a baking tray
Bake in a low oven for an hour or until really tender
Take out of the oven, de-seed and peel as soon as it can be handled
Make up two pints of vegetable stock
Cut into rough chunks and liquidise in a blender a few chunks at a time mixed with a couple of ladles full of stock
Once all of the squash is liquidised, add stock to the desired consistency (I like mine quite thick) and gently warm through in a large pan
Add a few grinds of black pepper
Serve in big bowls with a drizzle of cream or yoghurt on top and some warm crusty bread

If you use low fat yoghurt or fromage frais instead of cream, there is almost no fat in this dish and very few calories and do you know what? It tastes like a million dollar feast. It’s rich, has a delightfully delicate sweet flavour and served with bread is really satisfying.

This squash came from our farm shop (ours she says, I’ve only known of its existence for a few weeks and already it’s ours) and was grown less than five miles from our Cornish home. It is perfect in every way and I wanted to show its glorious colour, succulent flesh and beautiful seed pattern.

Why?

Well today’s advent story is one of someone who loves food in a way that could almost be described as evangelical. I love good, simple, high quality food. I strive to make sure I cook good, nutritious meals and I love the ritual of cooking for friends. It’s the whole ‘breaking bread’ thing gone berserk. I love eating in restaurants and experiencing new flavours – I had the most amazing dish I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant on Saturday night – a blue cheese and parsnip roulade. My mouth is watering now at the memory of its divine flavour.I may have to kill Tim (the chef)for the recipe!!!!!

This year, my passion has advanced significantly. I am sourcing more and more of my food from local producers and more and more organic produce. After all, you are what you eat as they say.

My calendar has a food theme and I am starting to collect my own recipes, sort them and write them up for a book. (Which I will probably write on the 12th of never if my track record for being so time-poor continues.)