It became autumn quite suddenly here. Actually more winter. Freezing weather down south and really chilly in our neck of the woods for this time of the year. We've had to pull the fluffy blankets and winter pajamas from the cupboards. Summer just disappeared too early I think. But then I love summer and always think that it was too short I suppose.
We started eating hearty meals too. Meals that are warmer and a little richer. Stews and roasts and curries. Warm meals in general are not a staple during summer in our family. It is just simply too hot and we often eat salads and fruit platters. All that changes when the weather starts to turn chilly. Suddenly we crave a bit of warmth and some substance. Hence roasted butternut.
Roast a few at once. Just rub their skins with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and a teaspoon or two of cumin or coriander and into the oven at 170°C for about an hour. The possibilities of things to do with these roasted gems are endless. They are perfect with just a sprinkle of sugar. Even better as a soup and absolutely delicious in this tart.
On a different note: We took over a lettuce business a couple of months ago. Our greenhouse is now operational and we are so proud. My dad takes care of the day to day running of it all and delivers to the local restaurants. You may just see more salad recipes here in future.
Also, I just like to mention that the red teatowel in the background is from Skinny laMinx. I bought it for myself as a little gift and felt so spoiled when it arrived in the post. Heather Moore wrapped it and attached a little papercut tag with a bird. The whole package just had 'made with love and care' written all over it. I was simply smitten with the contents too.
