Were you thinking of using a store bought vegetarian microwave dinner for you next Meatless Monday meal? Well not if Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage Treatment fame can help it. If you have never heard of him you might want to Google him now! He is a guru on the cutting edge of the local organic food movement and is all about healthy and easy alternatives you can make at home. Fearnley believes that food can and should be delicious, fast and healthy.

His television show, River Cottage Treatment, teaches people the folly of their ways and converts the most ardent fast- food lovers into gourmets after spending only a week with him on the farm. The bane of his existence, the plight of the modern age (his words not mine) is take-away food which includes everything from TV dinners to frozen meals and fast food. His culinary point of view is unique as he grows his own food from vegetable and fruit to grain and even livestock. He does accommodate the vegetarian, much to his dismay. He teaches people where their food comes from and a respect for each and every ingredient. He makes even the most cultured foodie have a renewed appreciation for something as simple as fresh parsley as every ingredient deserves to be celebrated. This stuffed butternut squash recipe is from his website and was featured on the show, and it is “based on a recipe by Sarah Raven.”

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 1.5kg) or 2 small ones (about 750g each)
• 2oz butter
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
• A little olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1c blue cheese such as Dorset Blue Vinney or stilton, crumbled into small lumps
• 2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
• 3oz walnut halves, lightly toasted and very coarsely chopped
• 1 scant tbsp runny honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make sure the outside of the squash is scrubbed clean. Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and soft fibers. Place in an ovenproof dish, put a little chopped garlic and a small nut of butter in each cavity, brush with olive oil, season well, and bake for about an hour, until the flesh feels very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Carefully scoop out the soft flesh, and the buttery, garlicky juices, into a bowl, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of flesh still attached to the skin, so the squash holds its shape. Roughly mash the flesh. Keep back a few bits of walnut and a few cubes of cheese, and then fold the remaining walnuts and cheese into the soft squash, along with the thyme and some more salt and pepper. Spoon the filling back into the two empty squash halves and scatter on the reserved cheese and walnuts. Trickle over the merest lick of honey, then return the squashes to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.

This sumptuous fall feast serves four and can be easily adapted to feed any group. The stuffed butternut squash is highly adaptable so feel free to replace the cheese, thyme, nuts and honey with other combinations of ingredients – grated cheddar or try a couple of tablespoons of crème fraiche and loads of chopped herbs. You are truly only limited by your imagination and pallet. The dish is extremely easy and boasts vibrant flavors that simply scream fall. Since squash are coming into season this is the perfect dish to make any night of the week. Try this out if you are having company over and need a vegetarian alternative but of course it will work for any Meatless Monday served with a fresh green salad and maybe even some roasted beets.

Thanks to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his unique culinary point of view you can enjoy a hearty, simple and delicious meal without needing to order in or pick up something frozen. Be sure to check him out and, as always, enjoy!

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