Stunning alternative Sunday lunches: Thomasina Miers’ recipe for whole roast squash

Gone are the days of meat’n’two veg with rubbery roasties for Sunday lunch. Try this stunning centrepiece of whole roast squash with herby pearl barley, melted cheese and coriander chimichurri

There was a time when an invitation for Sunday lunch meant one thing: a large joint centre stage with a backdrop of vegetables, most of them boiled to within an inch of their lives. But in this new monthly column, I’ll be sharing the sorts of recipes I actually cook at the weekend. Yes, there will be the spirit of the traditional meal – hearty, abundant, something special – but with dishes that challenge expectations. There will be sometimes be meat, though perhaps mainly cheaper cuts; there will be masses of veg; and I’ll keep things affordable and achievable to feed the hordes at the weekend.