Butter up to the squash

A chara, – Butternut squash soup recipes are an autumnal favourite with Irish Times food writers. But, as Vanessa Greenwood admits (Magazine, October 29th), "the worst thing about butternut squash is the cutting stage". Here's a tip I picked up at my local organic vegetable stall which will guarantee that readers will butter up to the squash: pop the squash (it also works for pumpkins) into the oven for 10 minutes (or so) and then the squash can be cut up like butter.

Best of all is that the peel also goes into the soup. Enjoy!

– Yours, etc,

MARY McCARRICK

Rathgar,

Dublin 6.