serves 6

This hearty winter bake uses the deep orange flesh of crown prince squash; stores of which should last well into winter after the autumn harvest. We suggest a simple watercress salad to accompany and balance the richness. Simply squeeze a good orange over the watercress. This dish is gluten and dairy free.

You will need a 30cm x 20cm baking dish, 4-5cm deep.
1 good size 2-3 kilo crown prince squash
3 medium potatoes 250gms in total
1 tin coconut milk
2 x 5cm sprigs rosemary
1 blade lemon grass
2.5cm fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp fenugreek powder
1 tsp fennel powder
½ tsp salt

For topping:
300gm roasted hazelnuts with as little skin on as possible
4 finely chopped shallots
4 x 5cm sprigs rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
Optional 150gm grated pecorino/parmesan cheese

1. Oven on at 150oC
   By far the most difficult part of this dish is preparing the ‘toughnut’ crown prince squash. First with a big sharp knife cut through the centre of the pumpkin then cut each section into 2 and 2 again. Each slice should now be approximately 4 cm thick. Remove the seeds and pith from each section. With a small paring knife carefully cut the hard olive green peel, cutting approximately 3mm away.
   
   
2. Now thinly slice the squash. If you have a thin slicing food processor, great, otherwise hand slice the segments ensuring the slices are 1mm wide or less and put the thin slices into a mixing bowl.
   
   
3. Peel the potatoes and slice to the same width as the squash and add these to the squash mixture. This helps to bind the gratinée.
   
   
4. In a separate bowl mix the coconut milk, fenugreek, fennel and salt. Fine blend (or carefully chop) the peeled garlic and ginger, lemon grass and rosemary. Add the coconut milk and mix all together.
   
   
5. Mix into the squash and potatoes. Season thoroughly and carefully transfer into a baking dish ensuring that all the squash is coated with the coconut milk by firmly patting down. Bake at 150oC for 1 hour 20mins or until a knife penetrates with ease.
   
   
6. Lastly  prepare the topping.  Finely dice the shallots and with a sharp knife chop the peeled hazelnuts into ‘rough bread crumbs’.  Also, fine chop the remaining rosemary and mix all together. Season with salt and pepper and mix 2tbsp olive oil to bind.
   
   
7. After 1 hour of baking remove the gratinée and evenly spread on the topping with a palette knife. Return to oven and bake for further 20mins.
   
   
8. Serve immediately or reserve for use (you can add optional grated pecorino or parmesan cheese).

This makes a great pesto and uses wild garlic leaves which are abundant in any wooded area in the spring. You will need:
250 gm wild garlic
100 gm cashew nuts
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ tablespoon sugar
150 ml olive oil

1. Simply puree all the ingredients in a food processor and use as normal pesto.
   
   
2. If you want to keep for some time it's worth freezing the pesto as wild garlic has many active ingredients with live enzymes different to cultivated basil for example.

ingredients
serves 6
400 gms arboria rice
1 pint good vegetable stock
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions diced
3 cloves garlic chopped
zest & juice of 11/2 oranges
11/2 tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp ground fennel
1 bulb of fennel chop into 1/2 cm pieces
1 stick of celery chop into 1/2 cm pieces
1/2 small leek chop into 1/2 cm pieces
salt and black pepper (a good big pinch)
1/2 glass white wine

method

1. medium sized stainless steel thick bottomed pan on medium heat
2. sauté onions for 2 minutes in 1/2 olive oil, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more
3. add cardamom powder, ground fennel, orange zest, leek, celery and fennel, and sautée for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly (to cook fennel al dente)
4. add remainder of olive oil and arboria rice. coat rice fully in oil
5. add white wine and cook for 2 minutes. stir constantly
   next stage adding stock takes 7-9 minutes
6. add 1/4 of the stock stirring carefully on medium heat until absorbed and mix just sticking on pan floor
7. add 1/4 more stock, stir constantly until absorbed
8. add 1/4 more stock, again stirring constantly until absorbed
9. risotto is ready when rice is doubled in size
   rice retains good bite
   season well
   finally add juice of orange to it
   success of dish depends on good stock

ingredients
5 large onions
700g (1.5lbs) carrots
4 cloves garlic
500g (1lb) leeks
400g (half head) celery
4 bay leaves
good sprig thyme
10 peppercorns
wild fennel stalks (trimmings)
coriander
3 pints water
a little olive oil

1. roughly chop all the vegetables
2. sauté the onions in a large pan in a little olive oil for 2 minutes, add the remaining vegetables and sauté on a medium heat for around 5 minutes without colouring.
3. add the herbs and spices, cover with the water and simmer for 40 minutes.
4. strain and reserve for use.

ingredients for the wild tekka paste
serves 4
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 shallots, diced
4 horse radish leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp wild coriander flowers/growing tips (or 4 cultivated leaves and stems)
2 tbsp wild fennel flowers/growing tips (or 1 tsp toasted fennel seeds)
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1.5 tbsp tekka powder (miso, lotus root & burdock)
half tsp mace
2 tsp sugar
quarter tsp salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

mash all the ingredients together with a pestle and mortar (or in a good food processor). start with the garlic, shallots, coriander, fennel & thyme, then add the oil and dry condiments - pummel to a smooth, rich paste.

ingredients for the wild mushroom soup
1 pint vegetable stock
2 tbsp wild tekka paste
1 small bunch spring onion (coarsely chopped)
1 tbsp tamari
200g (12oz) small wild mushrooms/ field mushrooms/ portobello mushrooms/ brown mushrooms, uncut

1. bring to the boil with the tekka paste, spring onion & tamari. simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the flavours.
2. sauté the wild mushrooms in a little butter for 1 minute
3. add infused stock to mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes
4. serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander.

6 shallots (peeled and chopped)
1 inch ginger (peeled and chopped)
4 strong chilli (seeded and chopped)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
½ dessertspoon turmeric
¾ dessertspoon ground fenugreek
½ dessertspoon ground fennel seeds
¾ dessertspoon ground green cardamom
¼ dessertspoon salt
½ dessertspoon sugar
1 dessertspoon vegetable bouillon
1 dessertspoon sesame oil
100g tamarind paste

first break down the tamarind by dissolving in a cup of boiling water. wait to cool and carefully remove all the stones – your food processor will love you for it.

put the tamarind pulp together with all the other ingredients in a food processor for 10 minutes until it makes a gelatinous paste.

ingredients for the laksa broth
serves 6

1 medium celeriac (peeled and cut into ¼ inch strips)
2 small leeks (sliced in half lengthways and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 bunch spring onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)
500g oyster mushrooms
500g pak choi (cut into 2 inch pieces)
6 kaffir lime leaves (or grated zest of ½ lime if you are unable to find kaffir lime leaves)
3 tins coconut milk
small bunch of sweet basil (or basil if you are unable to find sweet basil)

put 250ml water, the coconut milk and lime leaves in a large pan and bring to the boil.

when boiling, add 6 heaped dessertspoons of the laksa paste (one per person) and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

add the celeriac and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

add the oyster mushroom and spring onions and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

add the pak choi and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

serve the laksa in deep bowls sprinkled with sweet basil and served with steamed or boiled rice.

serves 6

This delicious autumn trifle is aromatic and rich but nice and light. You will need 6 trifle glasses or ramekins plus some specialist ingredients:
½ bottle organic cava (drink the rest once opened!)
50ml rosehip syrup (or 30gm dried rosehip with 4 tbsp caster sugar).  Can be found at good health food shops.
Juice of 1 lemon
3 dried or fresh kaffir lime leaves
200ml water
2 punnets or 250gm raspberries
100 gm macadamia nuts
450 ml tub Yeo Valley Greek yoghurt with honey
2 tbsp agar agar flakes

1. Put the cava, water, lemon juice, lime leaves and rosehip syrup (or dried rosehip) and sugar in a small stainless steel pan and bring gently to boil. Simmer for12mins to infuse flavours and cook out the alcohol from the cava.
   
   
2. Strain the liquid through a sieve. Measure the liquid back into a clean stainless steel pan and add 1 heaped tbsp of agar agar flakes for each 275ml.  The agar agar flakes ensure the mixture sets and should be whisked in to help the flakes dissolve.
   
   
3. Simmer gently for 10 – 12mins, whisk gently from time to time. Meanwhile carefully wash and shake dry the raspberries (this is important as soggy raspberries will inhibit the setting process) and divide them between the 6 glasses/ ramekins.
   
   
4. After 12mins of gentle simmering and whisking, strain the pale red liquid through a fine sieve into a jug (if there are lots of crystals left the agar has not dissolved so repeat step 3 with a further tbsp of agar agar).
   
   
5. Let the liquid cool in a jug for 2mins then divide over the 6 glasses of raspberries and cool in the fridge for 1 hour.
   
   
6. Serve when required with crushed macadamia nuts and a good blob of Greek yoghurt with honey.

ingredients
200g butter
350g plain flour
100g caster sugar
6 x 6inch sprigs rosemary

1. separate the rosemary leaves from the stems
   
2. cut the butter into small pieces and mix with the flour until breadcrumb consistency
   
3. add sugar and bring together like a pastry
   
4. finally add the rosemary and mix again
   
5. roll to 3mm thick and cut into shapes of your choice
   
6. bake on greaseproof paper at 120C for 30 to 35 minutes until firm
   
7. allow to cool and then enjoy!