Butternut squash with feta and white wine sauce, served with cornbread

Here we are having a glorious weather weekend! Finally summer arrived to England:-)

My body is craving all sorts of food which perhaps not necessarily is in demand during colder months. Although this one can easily be converted into risotto, pasta or pearl barlotto. 

Butternut squash in butter, white wine sauce with cornbread
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Ingredients:
500g peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 medium shallots finely chopped
20g butter 

2-3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
100ml white wine
2 veggie stock cubes or 1 knorr veggie stockpot
water
100g feta cheese
1 tsp dry sage
parsley 
chili flakes
salt & pepper

Let's do it:
In a big pan melt butter with a little bit of oil, add shallots and fry for a few minutes stirring once in a while. Add garlic, dry sage and chili flakes and fry a bit longer, pour in white wine and cook until wine is reduced and almost gone stirring from time to time (this will take around 5 minutes). Stir in butternut squash, cook for 2-3 minutes add stock and water, if it would be for a pasta or pearl barley sauce I would add no more than a 200ml water. I added around 500ml as I wanted to have some sauce to dip bread in it. Simmer until butternut squash is tender (around 15 min) and cooked, season well. Serve with crumbled feta and some chopped parsley.

Cornbread 
Recipe from Hugh F/W book, River Cottage Everyday
Very quick and easy to make - makes 12 slices/ pieces

Ingredients:
125g polenta
125g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp runny honey or soft brown sugar
150g yogurt or buttermilk
150ml whole milk
25g melted unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 220C and grease 23cm square baking tray. In a bowl mix together polenta, flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate soda and make a well in the middle. Add eggs, yogurt, honey, milk and melted butter and whisk it quickly, do not overdo it, quickly stir in extra ingredients (see below) - mine were chili flakes and chopped black olives. Pour the batter into the baking tray an place in the oven. Bake until golden.
Hugh F/W recommendations for extra ingredients:
- mushrooms (fried with garlic first)
- sweetcorn
- herbs
Virtually anything can be added as cornbread although nice on its own is rather plain.