Marrows grow so fast and easy in the summer discarding them seems wicked but because they tend to be bland and watery they can lack appeal. Here’s a fetching way of getting over this by using a heroic Spanish ingredient – hot smoked paprika. This spicy roast is loosely based on patatas bravas, which simply means ‘brave potatoes’. Marrow survives this treatment admirably and is enhanced by butternut squash, adding texture and colour. It’s easy to prepare if you have a sharp peeler. I use a trusted specimen purchased a few years ago in Lakeland for under £2.00. It has a razor sharp blade, perfect for peeling hard squash and marrow, but I also use it for creating ribbons of vegetables for other dishes.

Ingredients

1 medium marrow, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced

1 medium squash, butternut or similar, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 dessertspoon of hot smoked Spanish paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 medium red onions, peeled and finely sliced

225g chorizo, peeled and diced

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the marrow and squash and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the oil, paprika, seasoning and garlic. Mix really well to ensure that the vegetables are evenly coated. Place in a roasting dish and sprinkle with the onions and chorizo. Roast for 30-35 minutes or until tender and golden. Great as a light lunch or as a vegetable accompaniment.

I served this with a fillet of wild trout that had been seasoned with fresh herbs. Simply placed on top of the vegetables 10 minutes into cooking everything was ready at the same time.