Baked pumpkin with wild olives

October 16, 2008

Rack of lamb is one of those very handy cuts that can quickly become the heart of a meal for two or three without much bother.

Look out for a well trimmed rack with most of the fat removed and the bones neatly tidied up. A smear of oil or a layer of whole-grain mustard along the fleshy side of the rack will hold on a crust made of herbs and fresh breadcrumbs.

I like to use a cast iron gratin dish for cooking the lamb. I put a little oil in the bottom and place it in the oven which I then pre-heat to 200C. When the temperature is reached I place the lamb in the dish, roast it for 20 minutes then let it rest for five under a loose tent of foil.

I returned from a trip to the country at the weekend with a container of small wild olives and they were just the extra ingredient I was looking for to go in a pumpkin side dish with our rack of lamb. If you can’t find wild olives, any small mild olives would be fine.

We also enjoyed a delicious roasted beetroot salad with the lamb.

Baked pumpkin with wild olives

250g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3cm dice
2 tablespoons wild olives
olive oil
1 tablespoon tasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt flakes

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place the pumpkin pieces in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with the seeds, salt flakes and olives.

Bake the pumpkin for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

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