September - 06 - Pear Pea and Watercress Soup - serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
4 Large ripe pears
200 grammes frozen / fresh peas
2 small bunches of watercress
2 onions - finely chopped
2 cloves of galic - chopped
2 Pints vegetable stock (can be made from a stock cube)

Method:

Fry onions and garlic in oil until soft - taking care not to brown.
Peel, core and chop pears, add to onions and garlic.
Add peas, chop the watercress and add to rest of ingredients.
Continue to fry until soft, (approx 10 mins) taking care not to brown.
Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend with a stick blender or similar, add balck pepper and serve immediately with a sprig of watercress on top.

October - 06 - Butternut Squash and gnocchi bake- serves 4

Ingredients:

450g butternut squash (or pumpkin)
450g gnocchi
50g Soft goat's cheese
1 onion
500g Passata ( or strained tins of tomatoes)
5-6 leaves of fresh sage
small amount of oil

Method:

Preheat oven Gas Mark 6 or 200 degrees, chop and peel squash, chop into cubes, place on baking tray and drizzel with oil, pop into preheated oven for 20 mins until soft and starting to brown. Cook the gnocchi, drain and reserve for later. Finely chop onion and fry in a little oil until soft, add the passata and simmer, chop and add half the sage (simmer for 10 mins) strir occasionally, add in the pre cooked gnocchi and squash and tip into a large oven prrof dish, crumble the goat's cheese and sprinkle over the remaining sage, cover and bake for 15 mins, uncover and bake for a further 5 mins until well coloured and bubbling, serve with a light green salad.