Spiced squash and white beans with lemon and mint

Working with The University of Sheffield

Season: AutumnWinter

This week at Regather it’s all about the squash… from our own Regather farm and from Sheffield Organic Growers, both in the Moss Valley. We love how autumn squashes make the veg boxes look so enticing, especially nestled in with vibrant green brassica leaves. Recipe from Diana Henry (from ‘A Change of Appetite’). She has suggestions on tweaks, e.g. to go Moroccan: add 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ cinnamon stick and ½ tbsp harissa, some green olives, and finish with some preserved lemon shreds and coriander leaves. Serve with bulgur wheat or couscous and a green veg.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped

5 plum tomatoes, chopped (tinned fine!)

3 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp tomato paste

1kg sweet pumpkin or squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks

500ml veg stock

Salt and pepper

400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or Borlotti beans or chick-peas)

Juice of half a lemon plus finely grated zest of one lemon

Leaves from 6 sprigs of mint, torn

Method

Heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based casserole. Add the onion and carrot. Cook until the onion is slightly softened and pale gold.

Add the garlic, chillies and tomatoes and cook for another 5 mins or so. Now add the cumin, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomato puree.

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the squash (you’ll probably have to do this in batches) until it is golden all over and beginning to soften.

Add the squash to the onion mixture with the stock and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 40 mins. After 30 mins, remove the lid and add the beans.

The dish is ready when the squash is tender and the texture is quite thick. Add the lemon juice and half the zest and check the seasoning. Scatter with the mint and remaining zest.