Whole roasted gem squash is a genuinely simple dish – looks quirky and there’s something special about having your own individual natural pot of incredible flavour. This works well as snack or a starter and you can do different variations for the filling. Squashes, pumpkins and gourds belong to the same family as cucumbers, melons, marrows and courgettes. There is an amazing variety of sizes, shapes and colours, and although most are edible, some are used for decoration only. All squashes and pumpkins have a tough outer rind, an inner cavity filled with hard seeds and sweet, rich, well-coloured flesh with a dense, nutty and earthy flavour.