We’ve been determined since my daughter was born to cook all of (OK, most of) her food from scratch instead of buying it those little jars, so this is my opportunity to pass on some of what we’ve learned. Mia loves them and I’m sure your babies will too.

The Jerusalem Artichoke is a really underused vegetable which looks looks a bit like a potato, has a texture a bit like a radish, and tastes nothing like either. It is actually the root of a species of sunflower and has a really unique earthy flavour.

This recipe is part of my new found love of pomegranates; a leafy salad with pomegranates and feta cheese. It’s surprisingly good, and a great festive alternative to all the turkey you’re likely to be eating. We cheated and used a bag of ready bought salad leaves for this (hey, Delia gets away with it), but it would be even better if you made up your own.

At Christmas I always find myself reaching for one of Nigella Lawson’s great cookbooks. This year is no exception, and I make no apologies for reproducing this fantastic recipe from Nigella Christmas

Normally, a carpaccio is a dish made from thin slices of meat or fish, accompanied by a tangy dressing with vinegar, mustard, or lemon juice. The same principles apply with this beetroot carpaccio, too; wafer thin slices arranged on a plate and drizzled with a balsamic and olive oil dressing. A selection of chopped up herbs finishes the job.

I couldn’t resist sharing this delicious salad with you all, prompted by the “wild tomatoes” that arrived in my vegetable box this past week. The colours are fantastic and I’ve already decided I just have to grow them next year.

Now, how to cook a white carrot and still keep it interesting? A quick scan of the internet shows recipes ranging from white carrot juice and white carrot cake. Since I’ve not tasted white carrot before, I opted for a recipe which would highlight its flavour (a bit more delicate than a “normal” carrot, I think); the humble soup.

Sun drying is just one technique you can use to preserve tomatoes should you be lucky enough to have a glut of them this year. Even better, you don’t need the sun to do it – great for those of us living in England, where this summer is turning out to be yet another wash out.

A “fool” is a great and traditional way of showcasing in season fruit. You can try and be fancy (I’ve tried many different recipes before) but I’ve yet to find anything which beats the simplicity of stewed fruit folded into whipped cream.Confusingly, rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but that doesn’t stop it being right at the top of my list of seasonal foods, and my favourite for deserts such as this. Give it a go with gooseberries or raspberries too – it works just as well.

The parsnip.  Not a very exciting vegetable on its own and certainly one that always seems to be left lurking when my vegetable box is almost empty, but one which works incredibly well with other flavours.  A curried parsnip soup is one way of using this vegetable which is becoming pretty well known, so …