Allotment to the rescue (sausage & lentil stuffed patty pan squash)
I've lost my cooking mojo over the last few months, a combination of work related stress and a massive DIY project to sell the house in preparation for new adventures. Unknowingly my dad arrived with cure for this 'cook's block', accompanied on one of his visits with a large bag of homegrown veg from his allotment. Like me, he hates waste and I think he sees my kitchen as a place of last resort, a refuge for all the monster courgettes, wobbly carrots and endless runner beans that more sensible people turn down. He's right though, I'm firmly of the opinion that if you've spent time and effort growing it, you should at least eat it and there is something very satisfying in making a good meal of such ingredients.
His most recent delivery consisted of a number of huge yellow courgettes and two enormous disc shaped patty pan squashes. Despatching the courgettes was easy, sliced and fried until golden in some olive oil with a couple of basil leaves from the garden they were scoffed quickly one lonely week day evening. The patty pan squashes took a little more thought. These golden flying saucers are a summer squash like courgettes and don't have great keeping qualities so need to be eaten fairly soon after picking. They are best eaten as small squash and the plants can be very prolific. Left too long to grow the skin can toughen and the flesh gets a little stringy but stuffed with a rich savoury filling and roasted until soft they can still be delicious. With the nights rapidly drawing in and a slight chill in the air, they proved to be a perfect meal for the change in seasons. Dad, if you have any more of these, we have a home for them ready and waiting!
Sausage & lentil stuffed patty pan squash - serves 4
2 large patty pan squash (about the width of your hand)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
Good pinch of chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 pork sausages
4-6 sundries tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
125g cooked puy lentils
1 tbsp tomato purée
75g mature cheddar, grated
Heat the oven to 200℃. Hollow out the squash by removing a small lid around the stalk then scrape out the seeds and some of the stringy flesh with a spoon. Set the hollowed squash in a small roasting tin. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the leeks with the chilli flakes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Squeeze the sausage meat from the casings into the pan and break up the meat with a spatula into small chunks, stirring until cooked. Add the lentils, sundries tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for about 5-6 minutes until everything is rich and sticky. Spoon this mixture into the squash, pushing down with a spoon so that all of the cavity is filled. Top with the grated cheddar and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Allow to stand for a minute or two before serving with shredded cabbage stir fried in a little butter.
His most recent delivery consisted of a number of huge yellow courgettes and two enormous disc shaped patty pan squashes. Despatching the courgettes was easy, sliced and fried until golden in some olive oil with a couple of basil leaves from the garden they were scoffed quickly one lonely week day evening. The patty pan squashes took a little more thought. These golden flying saucers are a summer squash like courgettes and don't have great keeping qualities so need to be eaten fairly soon after picking. They are best eaten as small squash and the plants can be very prolific. Left too long to grow the skin can toughen and the flesh gets a little stringy but stuffed with a rich savoury filling and roasted until soft they can still be delicious. With the nights rapidly drawing in and a slight chill in the air, they proved to be a perfect meal for the change in seasons. Dad, if you have any more of these, we have a home for them ready and waiting!
Sausage & lentil stuffed patty pan squash - serves 4
2 large patty pan squash (about the width of your hand)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
Good pinch of chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 pork sausages
4-6 sundries tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
125g cooked puy lentils
1 tbsp tomato purée
75g mature cheddar, grated
Heat the oven to 200℃. Hollow out the squash by removing a small lid around the stalk then scrape out the seeds and some of the stringy flesh with a spoon. Set the hollowed squash in a small roasting tin. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the leeks with the chilli flakes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Squeeze the sausage meat from the casings into the pan and break up the meat with a spatula into small chunks, stirring until cooked. Add the lentils, sundries tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for about 5-6 minutes until everything is rich and sticky. Spoon this mixture into the squash, pushing down with a spoon so that all of the cavity is filled. Top with the grated cheddar and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Allow to stand for a minute or two before serving with shredded cabbage stir fried in a little butter.
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