Hello all! Hope you’ve had a good weekend wherever you are in the world. Mine included some work, a trip to the farmers’ market, a rainy canal walk with a friend, and, unsurprisingly, some cooking!
Squash is definitely one of my favourite foods at this time of year and I adore seeing all the different varieties piled high at the Farmers’ market. I snapped a quick picture yesterday as they were too pretty not to share.
I managed to resist buying them all and reminded myself that the market will be there next week and the week after and so on…so there will be plenty of time for more squash. I did pick up one though. I don’t actually know what variety it was, I mainly chose it because I liked the colour/markings and because it wasn’t as huge as some of the others. I am cooking just for me most of the time!
I so enjoyed my Thai Tempeh Red Curry last week and still had half of the little jar of paste sitting in my fridge so was keen to do use it in something else.
In this recipe chunky pieces of squash and chickpeas get a generous coating of a blend of red curry paste, miso and olive oil, before heading to the oven for a roasting. When the squash is lovely, soft and sweet and the chickpeas are crisp, they’re mixed up with silky ribbons of kale, massaged in a dressing made from the leftover miso-curry sauce, along with pumpkin seeds and fresh coriander for added yumminess.
This recipes’s a cinch to put together, especially since this squash was actually easy to chop! I have a scar on my thumb testament to a previous battle with a butternut…
I used these Tamari-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Clearspring, as I was feeling extra lazy and didn’t want to get out a pan to toast my pumpkin seeds. Though thinking about it now, you could just throw raw pumpkin seeds onto a baking sheet and roast them for a few minutes while your squash and chickpeas are in the oven.
Miso-Curry Roasted Squash with Crispy Chickpeas & Kale:
(Adapted from Super Natural Every Day)
1 Small/Medium Squash (Mine was 500g/Just over 1lb), cut into large chunks/moon shapes (if you’re using a butternut you’ll need to peel it)
1 1/2C/1 Can Cooked Chickpeas
1/4C Olive Oil
1/4C (scant) White Miso
1T Red Curry Paste
2T Lemon Juice
3C Kale (I used Cavolo Nero), de-stemmed and cut into ribbons
1/3C Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted
Large Handful of Fresh Coriander/Cilantro, roughly chopped or simply de-stemmed
Combine the olive oil, miso and red curry paste in a small bowl and toss about 1/3C of this with the squash and chickpeas in a large bowl. Use your hands to make sure it’s all coated. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until squash is tender and chickpeas are crisp.
Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry mixture until emulsified. In the large bowl you used for the vegetables, toss the kale and the dressing (you may not need all the dressing). Massage with your hands until the kale shrinks down a little and gets silky.
When squash and chickpeas are cooked, toss with the kale, remove to serving dishes or a platter, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and coriander, and serve.
Serves 3-4
My Warm Butternut & Lentil Salad with Tahini Dressing is another of my favourite squash recipes. What are yours? Send them my way please!
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So colourful! We just don’t get farmers markets like yours in the South, what a wonderful selection of squash!
Really? That’s such a shame. I look forward to my weekly Farmers’ Market trip.
Sounds so delicious, I am loving seeing all the different varieties of squash at the markets right now!
So fun isn’t it? I need to try kabocha squash next I think, since everyone talks about how wonderful it is.
Emma those crisp chickpeas sound wonderful, I’ve never had them crispy before! And those boxes of squash are what is living in my wardrobe, so you weren’t far off with your vision of them tumbling out! 😉
You’ve never had crispy chickpeas?! You need to do something about that! They’re a tasty snack just tossed in olive oil and whatever herbs/spices you fancy then roasted for 30ish mins.
Yes I agree, I must do something about that! I bet they’re great with earthy spices like cumin - will def try them, I’ve seen them on blogs loads but never got round to making them myself 😀
I love squash too, I will eat all the squash things!
I think the squash you picked up at the market is called a Sweet Dumpling Squash. It is a winter squash, meaning only the flesh can be eaten, not the skin. It is very versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes. It can be baked, boiled, mashed, pureed, steamed, simmered or stuffed.
I am excited to see what you make with it!
Thanks Anna, I think you may be right on the sweet dumpling squash. Just looked it up and it certainly sounds like it. The recipe pictured is what I made with it. I ate the skin so hope that’s not going to do me any damage! It was pretty soft and yummy.
Ha ha, I’m sure you will be fine! I didn’t realize the recipe you posted is what you made with the squash, it looks fabulous.
Thanks for the superb squash tips, HT. I wasn’t familiar with those facts.
You are welcome!
Ooh, thanks for sharing, Emma. The miso-curry paste is so tempting right now!
I just finished up my leftovers for lunch. Super yummy! I hope you give it a go.
I wish Australia had more varieties of squash and pumpkin! Yours are really cute
Fortunately we do still have enough to make this dish, which looks lovely.
You could make it with any variety of squash- just adjust cooking time accordingly.
We do have a lot of varieties here but I’ve hardly tried any of them- I should make it my mission to buy a different kind every week
sounds lovely - I wonder if I could use harissa instead of red curry paste - I have finally opened my white miso that was in my pantry and want to make a dent in it and this would be perfect. Love all those squash - we have some pretty ones at the farmers markets but I don’t have a clue what they are either
Harissa would be so good Johanna! I use white miso all the time- love it in dressings and sauces. Great for adding flavour to a creamy pasta dish too.
Glad it’s not just me who’s ignorant about the squash varieties.
This looks delicious! I will definitely have to try. Squash is one of my absolute favorite foods. I made a pizza with butternut squash and garden “ricotta” not too long ago for a friend’s birthday and she loved it. I like your idea of putting curry with the squash too!
beautiful squash varieties! The one you chose is very cute indeed. The favourite thing I used my roasted kabocha for in the past week was a fairly simple fall salad: kale, pomegranate seeds, figs, roasted kabocha and cashew ricotta (picture on the blog). This recipe looks really yummy too!
Just seen that salad and wow does it look good! I so want you to come and visit and we can cook and un-cook together! I’m planning on trying a different squash this week so I may pick up a kabocha
I am game for anything with crispy Chickpeas!
Aren’t they yummy?! I need to make a batch or two up for snacking.
Roasted chickpeas and a lovely winter squash! I’m all about this dish. That’s a lovely looking squash! I’m always tempted to buy all the pretty squash at the market but I’m petrified that cutting into them will be difficult. So far all the squash I’ve had are acorn, butternut and delicata. I think there’s one or two more but I can’t think of what they are called.
That looks so beautiful - the colours alone make me happy! I’m always a little leery of squash, they always seem too much work. Clearly I’ve been missing out!
Thanks Joey
You must be one of the few squash skeptics out there! This one was great as there was no peeling involved, but you’re right that they can be a bit of a faff to prepare.
Miso is perfect for everything else. I used it in a variety of dishes whilst staying in Buenos Aires - from polenta to mashed potatoes since we don’t have a veggie broth around (most of them contain MSG) so I relied on miso! Such gorgeous curry sauce and salads, full of vibrant colors and crunchy bites from the kale, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas.
Miso does add a lovely depth of flavour to everything doesn’t it? Thanks for your sweet comments about my dish
This sounds like a great combo! I haven’t gotten into the squash spirit yet besides for canned pumpkin, this needs to change asap! I keep seeing butternut, delicata and acorn all over the place lately.
Definitely heading to the market again tomorrow to pick up a couple more! I’m hoping to find delicata as it sounds really easy to chop!
I THINK that’s a carnival squash, but I’m not really an expert 😛 Now you’ve got ME craving this curry!! I’m always in the mood for it.
You definitely seem like an expert! You are featuring 12 weeks of squash after all! I’ve been told carnival or sweet dumpling but think they’re pretty much the same.
This looks wonderful! Love the flavors here. And I’m always a fan of not having to wrestle with a butternut squash while wielding a knife. So frustrating!
Glad it appeals Ashley
I’m always really nervous cutting butternut after my little “incident”!