Cooking Pumpkin or Winter Squash

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place pumpkin or winter squash in a large, deep, heavy baking dish.
2. Add enough water to the pan to come a third of the way up the side of the pumpkin or winter squash.3
3. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the pumpkin or winter squash softens, about 45 minutes. Let the pumpkin or winter squash cool before cutting it open, removing the stem, and separating the seeds from the pulp.

Picking A Ripe Melon

It´s sometimes hard to tell if your melons are ripe, but here are a few guidelines:
1. The part of the melon that touches the ground will turn light straw or yellow in color.
2.The surface of the melon begins to feel rough.
3.The little piece of stem that attaches to the vine turns brown and dries up. In some varieties this change occurs about a week before the melon is ripe.

Green Pattypan Squash

These are tiny versions of the larger pattypan squash and have a delicate flavor and smooth skin. They require a bit of cooking. For an appetizer, try blanching them for one minute, scoop out the pulp and fill with herbed cheese or crab salad.

Easy Ways With Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is one of the most wonderful vegetables to cook with. It can be baked, roasted, steamed and even microwaved - but I would recommend keeping it away from water as that leaches the flavour.
Peel your squash and cut it into cubes. Mix with a little olive oil and season with salt, paprika, chilli flakes and a few squashed garlic cloves. Roast in a medium oven until soft (30-40 minutes approx), then serve on a bed of watercress with toasted walnuts and fresh soft goats cheese crumbled over.
Blend leftover squash with a little stock or milk to make a quick and tasty soup.