Staying at home over the holidays has meant more time to experiment in the kitchen with seasonal, festive flavours. Not being a meat eater, I have been thinking of ways to bring Christmas flavours to the table without being constrained by the traditional meat-centred dishes. Even Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been making veg the star of the show this year, so we must be making progress beyond the days of nut roasts and Tofurkey, correct?
Winter Veg for Christmas Dinners
Though the hues of orange, umber, mustard and rust seem to have disappeared from the trees, you can always turn to some late autumn and winter squash to bring back the warmth when it’s turning cold and grey outside. This year we picked up pumpkins from our local Emmett’s Farm and had a mixed squash box delivered from Riverford Organic.
The season started with 5th of November Pumpkin Soup, and this year the Englishman played his hand at recreating our favourite dish. I must admit, it was far tastier than the one I made last year and I think I’ll be leaving it to him in the future. Blending both pumpkin and butternut squash with lots of browned onions for depth, he garnished the soup with crushed hazelnuts, a drizzle of cream and chilli oil – delicious!
Pumpkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts & Chilli Oil
