Moroccan roast vegetables with labneh

If you don’t want to serve the labneh then stir a couple of chopped preserved lemons into Greek yogurt and offer that alongside the vegetables instead.

SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes, plus draining COOKING TIME

40 minutes

FOR THE LABNEH 150g Greek yogurt Sea salt flakes Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE VEGETABLES

2kg squash or pumpkin (Crown Prince has a good flavour)

3 onions, cut into thick wedges

1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets

400g baby potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

2-3 red chillies, halved, deseeded and finely sliced

3cm fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated ½tbsp ground cumin 1tbsp harissa 7tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

200g cherry tomatoes on the vine, snipped into small bunches

Juice ½ lemon Leaves from a small bunch of coriander, chopped, to serve

3 preserved lemons, rind only, shredded, to serve

Couscous, to serve (optional)

1 Start the labneh the day before. Put the yogurt into a piece of muslin or a brand-new all-purpose kitchen cloth set in a sieve over a bowl. Stir in some salt and pepper. Pull the fabric up around the yogurt to make a ‘bag’. Put the whole thing – including the bowl to catch the moisture that drains out – in the fridge for 24hr. Give it a gentle squeeze every so often. You’ll get a firm yogurt ‘cheese’.

2 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Cut the squash into wedges (I don’t peel it, as the skin softens enough during roasting to be edible) and remove the seeds. Divide between 2 roasting tins, then do the same with the onions, cauliflower and potatoes. The vegetables need to be able to lie in a single layer, with room to add the tomatoes later. Season, add the chillies, ginger, cumin and harissa and drizzle everything with 5tbsp of the olive oil. Turn the vegetables, so they get covered in the flavourings and oil. Roast for 20min.

3 Stir in the chickpeas and garlic, add the tomato bunches and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. Roast for a final 20min, or until the vegetables are tender and slightly singed in places. Check the seasoning.

4 Transfer the vegetables to a warmed platter or shallow bowl. Squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter with the coriander and shredded preserved lemon rind. Serve the vegetables and labneh on their own – the dish already contains a starch in the potatoes – or with couscous.