Herman says: When I was growing up, the word vegetarian was as rare in the Kalahari as salmon or trout. The mere thought that someone in my home town would say “no” to meat is something that still gives me anxiety to this day. But there was one incident, just one but so rare that I have to write about it. My mother ran a guesthouse and as you probably already know, my mother’s number-one asset was her cooking. Shortly after I matriculated, I left town to study in the Cape. I had barely left and my phone rang. It was my mom. “Herman, what does someone eat that says they are a vegetarian?” At first, I could only hear uncertainty in her voice. I asked, “Why? Who’s asking?” She explained they were guests from the city. I said “Mom, they only eat vegetables, no meat.” The phone went dead. I called back, my dad answered. “Where’s Mom?” He said he had to make sugar water just now, the anxiety was too much for her. “She was sweating and trembling like someone who doesn’t eat enough meat”, he says. I told him to let her calm down and call me back. She called again and asked if I was sure it meant no meat. “Not even your dad’s chicken on the barbecue?” “No,” I say, “Mom, not even chicken.” She was quiet for a moment, then said, “F*k man, you know chicken is a vegetable, don’t lie to me now”. Weeks later, I called to hear how it went. She said it went well. “Your Dad made butternut on the barbecue. The vegetarian went back for seconds. I told your dad it was the chicken he had cooked on it beforehand!”
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
- 1 butternut, halved and seeds scooped out
- 80ml honey
- 115g butter, melted
- 45ml olive oil
- 100ml of water
- a handful of sage, finely chopped
- 15ml Dijon mustard
- 1 star anise
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Heat oven to 180 °C. Use a sharp knife to make cuts 2–3mm apart across each fleshy surface, but don’t cut right through.
- Place the butternut squash in an oven grill tray with the cut side facing upwards.
- Mix the honey, butter, olive oil, water, sage, mustard and anise. Pour over butternut squash and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place in the hot oven and roast for 25–30 minutes or until the butternut is tender and cooked. Every now and then, baste the butternut with the pan juices. Serve hot.
“My mother made the most delicious lamb pie… lots of tender marrow with a crispy crust.” Rena Breedt