Winter pumpkin and squash
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Winter pumpkin: home-grown, October to November; imported, September to November. Squash: all year
The bright-orange lantern pumpkins available around Halloween do not have a great deal of flavour, so in my opinion are not worth serving as a vegetable. However, the smooth, silky texture makes wonderful soup, and gives the best texture in Pumpkin Pie or in Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Sweetcorn.
Butternut squash is available all year because when our season finishes we import it from Africa, and its buttery, nutty texture is one of my own favourites. It is shaped like a bottle and has both a nutty flavour and a good firm texture, excellent for roasting and braising as in recipes for Oven-Roasted Winter Vegetables and Latin American stew.
To prepare pumpkin or squash, you need a good, sharp, heavy knife, and first you cut the vegetable in half and then into quarters. After that, scoop out the fibrous bits and all the seeds with a spoon or knife, then, this time using a small but very sharp knife, peel away the tough skin. Finally, cut the pumpkin flesh into cubes or slices.
Serves 4-6Winter Vegetable Pie with a Parmesan Crust
Vegetarians are often badly served when it comes to pies which often feature chicken or meat, but this pie makes up for any lack: filled with wintry root veg and a cheesy sauce, with a Parmesan pastry, it's a real treat!s
Serves 4Leek and Butternut Squash Soup
Low-fat, full of flavour, easy to make and suitable for freezing: there really is every reason to make this superb velvety, almost fat-free soup on a winter's day. It's bound to become a favourite immediately!
Serves 4Caribbean Pepperpot
With its explosion of colour and flavours, a spicy mix of Caribbean spices, coconut milk, beef and vegetables brings this vivid, tasty dish to life!
Serves 6Oven-roasted Winter Vegetables
Roasting vegetables is a great way of maximising their nutritional benefit as the vitamins don't leach out into the cooking water - and they're full of flavour and texture. This recipe uses all those wonderful root veg in one go.
Serves 6Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Melting Cheese
The lovely thing about pumpkin is that it has a really velvety texture in soup, and if it's oven-roasted before you add it to the soup, it gives an unusual nuttiness to the flavour. Just before serving, add little cubes of quick melting cheese like G
