Buttercups are cheap as chips at the moment, so there’s no better time to start whipping up some delicious dishes. We haven’t planted any pumpkins or buttercups, yet we have a huge paddock set aside to do so, I hear once you plant them they are with you forever!
Buttercups or Butternuts?
Butternuts are light brown in colour and have a shape not to dis-similar to a goose-neck. Hence why its sometimes called a goose-neck squash. There uses are very similar to those of a pumpkin. Roasting, grilling and soups. Possibly a bit sweeter than a pumpkin so makes it a richer favour.
Buttercups are shaped more like a pumpkin but are dark green on the outside. Rich in vitamin A, C and fibre. They have a firmer flesh so are better for roasting and grilling than turning in soups. When choosing a buttercup always look at it little turban-like cap. If it’s a lighter green its good, if it’s soft to push its too old.
So this week we are roasting our Buttercup and serving them as a warm buttercup salad.
Try cutting the Buttercup in ¼ and serving the salad inside it.
Warm Autumnal Salad
(serves 4)
- 1 large buttercup
- 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 100g rocket leaves
- 100g cows feta, cut into cubes
- ½ cup walnut halves, toasted
Preheat oven to 190*C. Carefully cut buttercup in half and scoop out seeds. Slice into wedges and place in roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, add tomatoes to tray and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Arrange on serving dish with rocket, feta and toasted walnuts, then drizzle with rocket oil and dollops of Kalamata honey.
Kalamata honey
- 12 pitted kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp honey
Blitz olives and honey together until smooth.
Rocket oil
- 100g rocket leaves
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Blitz rocket and oil together until smooth.