Here in the UK, it doesn’t appear that we are nearly as ‘into’ or experimental with squashes as they are in other countries. Russia and the Ukraine, followed by China and India then the US seem to be pretty keen on them and for good reason when it comes to hoovering down a whole host of nutrients which keep us in tip-top condition (btw: pumpkins are a type of squash).

Keeping our immune system as strong as it possibly can be is extremely important right now, not only with regard to COVID-19 and its variants but also to ward off other viruses that may be lurking around during the winter months. And two of the most important vitamins for strengthening our immune system are vitamin A and vitamin C and squash is rich in a wealth of protective antioxidant carotenoids which the body then turns into vitamin A (only sweet potatoes, carrots and dark green leafy vegetables rank higher) and an extremely good source of vitamin C.

squash & sage soup

If you have time on your hands, you may wish to look at a website I recently discovered White On Rice Couple where Todd and Diane must have spend months (if not years!) researching all the various squashes and photographing them - brilliant stuff!

squash & sage pasta

I would recommend one of the very many squashes on the supermarket shelves or in your local greengrocer around two (or even better, three) times a week.

Maple & Chilli Roasted Squash with Quinoa Tabouli

My Squash & Sage Soup and my Squash & Sage Pasta never fail to get oohs and aahs and with very big thanks to Donna Hay’s recipe for Maple & Chilli Roasted Squash with Quinoa Tabouli from her Everyday Fresh: Meals in Minutes cookbook, the week is sorted!

When I was a kid, in Scotland, we employed a big knobbly turnip/swede/neep/tumshie (how many names can a vegetable possibly have, you ask?) to make our scary halloween lanterns that we carried from door-to-door, rehearsing our little song, dance or poem along the way - you certainly didn’t get away with telling a lame joke back then! And, if you didn’t totally ‘freeze’ under the stare of a few overly-stern neighbours (who didn’t really get into the whole thing and only under peer pressure, opened their doors), there was a chance that you might get some sweets, a tangerine, a few monkey nuts and maybe even a sixpenny bit for your efforts!

DISCLOSURE: A few real ‘Scrooges’ were known to put all the lights out and went to bed around 6 rather than part with a few monkey nuts - yes, Mr and Mrs P at number 9 and Mrs F at number 18 - I mean you!

Anyways… it was a total relief to us Scots that we have generally accepted the American habit of using a pumpkin rather than a turnip as they were notoriously hard to scoop out and even worse to carve any kind of creative design, but we knew no better - all we knew was that Cinderella’s carriage turned into a pumpkin at midnight, not that it was some kind of massive and carvable vegetable!

And best of all, the pumpkin flesh and seeds we laboriously scoop out can be turned into loads of delicious food!

Here are 2 recipes you might want to make with all the pumpkin flesh that is cluttering your kitchen counters! I have to warn you that the squash/pumpkin and sage soup is a thing of complete and utter beauty and one bowl is never enough plus it’s very hard to say no to a generous helping of the pumpkin/squash and sage pasta which is a favourite at any time of the year.

UPDATE: me and the other kids on our road haven’t necessarily forgiven Mr and Mrs P from number 9 and Mrs F from number 18 but after around 15 years or so, we decided to let the whole ‘halloween thing’ go - grown-up or what?

Pumpkin/Squash & Sage Soup (click on the image for the recipe)

Pumpkin/Squash & Sage Pasta (click on the image for recipe)