Butternut pumpkin wedges served with sour cream and a zucchini hazelnut salad with blue cheese. Both of these vegetarian delights were inspired by and adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi recipes.
Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Peel and slice a small butternut pumpkin into thin wedges and lay them onto a baking sheet. Combine 50g (1¾ oz) of finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, 30g (1 oz) of almond meal, the grated zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons, ⅓ of a cup of finely chopped parsley, 4-6 sprigs of finely chopped thyme leaves, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Brush or smear the pumpkin with a generous amount of olive oil then top with the crumb mixture. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the pumpkin colours a little and is soft. Meanwhile mix 1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives or dill into ½ a cup of sour cream. Season with a little salt and pepper. Serve with the sour cream.
Slice 4 large zucchinis (courgettes) diagonally and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook them until just soft in a pan, on a griddle, in the oven or even on the barbecue. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Toast 50g (1¾ oz) of whole hazelnuts in a dry pan and set aside to cool. When ready to assemble the salad, toss the zucchinis and hazelnuts in a bowl with 30g (1 oz) of basil leaves, 70g (2½ oz) of good quality blue cheese (broken into pieces) a little more olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste.
michelle picker cooks 