A comforting mid-week dish that’s vege focused, with minimal prep.  Serve as a main or side dish. It’s equally delicious served hot or at room-temperature, so it’s worthwhile to bake the tray chock-full, even though it may seem a lot, then you can make use of any left overs the next day for lunch, or the day after that.  Whipping up the carrot top dressing while the veg are roasting is well worth the effort for an added tasty topping.

serves 4-6

½ butternut pumpkin (cut lengthways), seeds removed

2 bay leaves, or 3 sprigs of thyme, or sage or oregano

3 sebago potatoes, each cut into 4

1 bunch Dutch carrots, ends trimmed and tops reserved

1 broccoli head, cut into 6 wedges, lengthways

2 tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup Main Ridge Dairy goat’s curd, or feta, crumbled (or any cheese you have in the fridge

sea salt

black pepper

carrot top dressing:

½ reserved carrot tops, well washed, rinsed and drained, tough stems removed

1 spring onion, ends trimmed

1 garlic clove

pinch sea salt

¼ cup pepitas, or nuts such as almonds, walnut, hazelnuts, toasted to light golden

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a large roasting tray with baking paper.

Score the pumpkin half with diagonal cuts 2cm apart, in a criss-cross pattern, making sure not to cut through the skin. Place on the prepared tray cut side up. Split the bay leaves into four pieces, or if using other herbs, break up the sprigs into smaller pieces, then push in between the cuts over the pumpkin. Scatter the potatoes around the sides of the pumpkin. Drizzle about a 1/3 cup olive oil over scored pumpkin and potatoes to coat. Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the carrot top dressing, if making. Place the carrot tops, spring onion, garlic, salt, olive oil and the pepitas or chosen nuts, in bowl of a small food processor. Blend until a coarse paste forms. Set aside.

After 40 minutes remove the roasting tray. Scatter the carrots, broccoli and tomatoes around the sides of the pumpkin. If you prefer crunchy potatoes, arrange them towards top of vegetable layer. Drizzle remaining olive oil over all the vegetables. Return tray to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin, potatoes and carrots are tender. The timing will depend on size of vegetables, so try to cut any overly large carrots and potatoes into smaller pieces.

Remove from oven and transfer to centre of table. Serve with dollops of carrot  top dressing and goat’s curd.  Season generously with sea salt and grinding of black pepper.

 Recipe by Fiona Hammond, February 2023