Roasted marrow with garlic and dried herbs, alias What to do with an overgrown squash


Cubed and seasoned squash/marrow, ready for roasting.

My mum doesn't get the concept of zucchini/courgettes. She's convinced that bigger is better, so while I was happily harvesting beautiful slim zucchini from my container garden, she was waiting until her zucchini were 'the right size'. 'Right size' in this case means totally overgrown, about 1,5-2 kilograms a piece. No amount of explanation and talking (Mom, these are supposed to be eaten when they're still young and tender, they're not your usual pumpkin/squash!!!) seems to help.

When my dad popped by last weekend to bring us a large bag of my favourite summer apples - Valge Klaar and Suislepp, and some beautiful yellow flowers (all from my mum's garden), he also brought us a huge and overgrown squash/marrow. Way too large for something as delicate as zucchini carpaccio, so I had to come up with something else. Luckily I bumped into this recipe over at the fun The Great Big Vegetable Challenge blog, which I very slightly adapted. And I liked the result.

I think I won't argue with my mum about the 'right' time & size to harvest zucchini. I'll just continue eating my zucchini as zucchini and her 'zucchini' as squash/marrow. Two for the price of one, you know..

Roasted marrow with garlic and dried herbs
(Röstitud kabatšokk küüslauguga)
Serves 4 as a side dish


A fat roasted garlic clove.

1 kg of cubed marrow/squash (weight after de-seeding)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 large garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Maldon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cut the marrow in half lengthwise, then again in half or into quarters lengthwise, depending on the size of the marrow. Cut into 2-3 cm chunks.
Brush a large oven dish slightly with oil, add squash/marrow cubes, herbs, garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands, so everything would be evenly coated.
Roast in a 200C oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring every now and then, until squash/marrow cubes are golden and softened.

Tips for serving: serve as an accompaniment for a grilled meat, or as a vegetarian dish with some good bread. I used the leftover roasted marrow to make a vegetable quiche on the following day, which was delicious, too.

WHB: This is also my entry to the Weekend Herb Blogging, this time hosted by Scott from Real Epicurean (click through to read other WHB entries).

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