In just one month’s time our new beach hut will be up and we start our favourite time of the year – beach hut season.  I just can’t wait.  So that we maximize our time, we start planning ahead how we are going to decorate the hut, what shelving we are going to have and what foods we want to cook down there.  Although the hut is only a few minutes walk from our house and although it’s no bother to walk to the house to collect something that we might have forgotten, we don’t want to waste a single minute of beach hut time.  So this weekend we planned beach hut time together round the table over lunch.

I was lucky enough to be sent Harry Eastwood’s A Salad for All Seasons Cookbook by Florette Salad which I have to say has been flagged and well thumbed and led the “food” part of the beach hut planning discussions. Talk of food always gets us thinking of long lazy days at the hut and I’m only to happy to go for easy, quick to prepare meals such as these salad ideas.

From Harry’s book, our two hungry teenagers particularly like anything involving salami so the Summer Store-cupboard Salad using store-cupboard ingredients that can be stored at the hut all day even in roaring heat is a winner all round.  Just right to assemble after a wild sea swim when everyone is hungry and in need of sustenance.

Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio (serves 4)

600g mixed squashes – I used just butternut squash as that’s all I could find

2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 large red onions, cut into thin moons

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stripped from the stalk

200g Taleggio, cut into cubes

2 general handfuls rocket leaves

For the dressing:

3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Plenty of salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade/400 F/Gas Mark 6.

Cut the squashes into half moons of around 2cm thickness. Toss them in the olive oil and roast in the top of the oven for 5 minutes.  Make sure to spread the squash on to a large baking sheet so that they roast, as apposed to steam.  leave the seasoning with salt until right at the end for the same reason.

Turn the oven setting to grill.  Remove the tray from the oven and add the red onion slices to the cooked squash, sprinkle with the thyme and place back in the oven.  Grill for a further 10 minutes or until the squash looks blistered and golden.

Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Mix the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup with a pinch of slat in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil and boil hard for 5 minutes.  The syrup will now be thickened and glossy.

When the squash and onions have had their time, remove from the oven and pile on to a large serving platter.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Dot the Taleggio cubes all over and give it a good toss.  Scatter the rocket over the top.  Drizzle with the warm glaze and give a final mix, taking care not to break up the squash.  Serve warm.

This is a collaborative post.