Late summer recipe

Summer is now transitioning into autumn, a time termed simply 'late summer' in Chinese Medicine, and the focus is now on harvest. So it's out with the light salads and in with something more seasonal and energetically hearty.

Here's a lovely nutritious recipe now the nights are drawing in and it's getting cooler. It uses the warming qualities of garlic, thyme and walnuts alongside the more Yin nature of cheese and butter. Although this uses summer squash, winter squash can work just as well.

Ingredients

4 small summer squash

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

50g unsalted butter

Olive oil

75g walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

200g blue cheese or goat's cheese, crumbled

2 tsp chopped thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

190C/375F/gas mark 5

Method

Scrub the outside of each squash clean.

Cut off the tops, scoop out the seeds and place the squash in a roasting dish.

Add the chopped garlic and a little butter to each hollow, brush with a little oil and season.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until flesh is tender.

Leaving half a centimetre of flesh so the squash holds its shape, scoop the rest out into a bowl and roughly mash.

Setting aside a little for the topping, fold the rest of the cheese and walnuts into the squash along with the thyme and more seasoning.

Spoon the filling back into the squash skins and top with the remaining cheese and walnuts.

Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling.

Hope you enjoy it!

(Many thanks to Di Shimell of the BAcC for this recipe.)