Chevre and thyme roasted gem squash

Tomme de Chevre and thyme-roasted gem squash is a simple recipe for squash stuffed with creamy potatoes, topped with goat's cheese and baked in the oven. This is really warming comfort food - if you like stuffed marrow you will love this vegetarian stuffed squash.

Serves 4 as a starter
Ready in 1¼ hours

Ingredients

• 150ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 300g King Edward potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 fennel, halved and sliced
• 4 gem squash
• 175g Tomme de Chevre cheese (from Waitrose or Tesco), roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Method: How to make thyme-roasted gem squash

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan°160C/gas 4. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan, add the garlic and 2 bay leaves and season well. Add the potatoes and fennel, slowly bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from the heat and lift out and set aside the bay leaves.

2. Slice the tops off the squash and remove and discard the seeds inside. Season well. Stir 100g of the goat's cheese into the cream mixture along with the thyme. Divide the filling among the squash cavities, then top each with the remaining goat's cheese and a bay leaf.

3. Wrap each squash in baking paper, then wrap tightly in a double layer of foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, open out the baking paper and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until bubbling. Set aside to cool slightly before serving.

A Channel 4 recipe