Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Spices, Tomato and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 red kuri squash
• Olive oil
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
• Fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• Lemon juice
• Early Girl tomato confit
• Chopped herbs of your choice (dill, parsley, chives, oregano)

Step 1:

Set up a steamer on the stovetop, turn the heat on medium high. Cut both ends off the squash, and peel with a Y peeler, it’s ok if you don’t get all of the peel off- just most of it. Cut the squash in half, and then each half in half. Then cut 1” thick wedges and place in a single layer in the steamer. 

Step 2:

Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam, after a couple minutes, remove the lid and sprinkle salt all over the squash. Replace the lid and steam until tender, 15-20 minutes. You should be able to stick a small knife through the squash with no resistance, remove from the steamer to a tray to cool. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan on the stove over medium low heat, just until they become aromatic, maybe 5 minutes. Place the spices along with the chili flakes into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, crush the spices to a coarse powder. 

Step 3:

Heat a large cast iron pan on the stove over medium high heat.

Brush the steamed squash wedges with olive oil, sprinkle with more salt and the spice mixture. Drizzle a little olive oil into the pan and place the squash cut side down in the pan, cook until caramelized, maybe 5 minutes. Turn the slices over to the other cut side and caramelize, finally turn the sliced to the rounded side and cook for a final 5 minutes. Remove to a tray.

Step 4:

Smear some goat cheese on a plate, place the caramelized squash wedges on the cheese. Sprinkle lemon juice over the squash, smash a couple early girl tomato confit pieces here and there. Rain the chopped herbs over everything and any leftover spice mixture you may have.