Anyone got a recipe for Pumpkin soup? Food

Ah, right - I won't panic if my plants don't look like yours then!

I like butternut squash too, but the trouble with the big squashes and pumpkins is that they are very difficult to prepare when you have dainty little hands like me. I've often seen American recipes talking about canned pumpkin, which must make life a lot easier. Normally I'd always choose a fresh ingredient over canned, but in the case of pumpkin I might be prepared to make an exception! Don't think I've ever seen canned pumpkin on the supermarket shelves though.

I grow butternut squash every year in one of my veggie patches. This year I had a bumper crop of 4 gi -normous ones and 3 slightly smaller. Both the dogs and I love butternut and what we don't eat immediately I normally freeze.

A butternut squash field at the side of the tractor path the other side of my neighbour...

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...leaving the butternut squash field...

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...with four in the box on the back of The Silver Monster!

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I'm feeling left out - I must definitely find room in the garden for some butternut squash too!

What I like about them, apart from the gorgeous flavour of course, is that apart from the stalk there is absolutely no waste. They do not need peeling because unlike pumpkin the peel softens when they are cooked. I chunk and steam in the microwave before doing anything else with them - they only take a few minutes and the peel sort of "peels" off as they cook!

The seeds and stringy innards get eaten by Pereg, of course!

I wonder if I could do them in the slow cooker?

I roast my butter squash

1 Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF.
2 Clean the outside of the butternut squash. Wipe down and scrape off any dirt that needs removing. You'll be roasting with the peel on, so it needs to be clean.3
3 Cut the butternut squash in halves. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
4 Prepare the butternut squash cubes. Cut each half into cubes (or near enough shapes) about 2cm/1 inch in thickness.
5 Brush the wedges with olive oil. Place in the roasting dish, skin side facing down. Sprinkle the cubes with a seasoning of choice (dried herbs, paprika, spicy mix, etc.).
6 Place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
7 Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Turn the pieces over, then return to the oven.
8 Bake for a further 15 minutes, or until tender. Tenderness can be tested by sticking the point of a knife or a fork into the pieces; if it gives easily, the cubes are ready to serve.

Sounds delicious! I'm quite sorry Tesco is closed so I can't go out and buy some butternut squash!

Aldi selling them for 65p xx

Wish we had an Aldi. We've just got a small Tesco and an absolutely useless Co-op. The Co-op will be even more useless soon, because the clothing chain Peacocks are opening a concession in the store, so there'll be even less room for food.

At this time of year when there's a party in the village you'll normally find plates of cold roast butternut as well as the gooey cakes ... something I'd never seen served that way before. I love my butternut cooked the South African way, mashed with a sprinkle of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter ... delish!

I'm wanting them more and more!

And gooey cakes ...mmmm...