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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Seasonal Food is where it’s at. So there’s no better way in my eyes than to combine a whole bunch of the best vegetables that May has to offer - in this case, in the form of a soup.

Some of you might be put off by […]

There’s a couple of interesting things about this recipe. First, it’s cooked with the heat turned off (which probably has something which Molecular Gastronomy could explain better then me), and secondly, the resulting stock liquid can be turned into a soup quickly and easily. Dinner for two days!

This soup is delicious and should convert almost anybody. I serve it chunky, with the vegetables intact and even with a large chunk of oxtail in the middle of the bowl so that the meat can be enjoyed too. But you could just as easily strain it to remove the “solids” for a more liquidy lunch.

This soup is very easy to make. In fact, the basis of this soup can work as the basis to almost any of your home made soups - a stock with celery, carrot and onion, to which your ingredient of choice is added later (in this case pumpkin).

We are entering that time in the year when summer begins to draw to a close and the nights draw in; when food begins to get really interesting. Before we get to that time of the culinary calendar (our favourite) when mushrooms and pumpkins are in full swing, it’s time to start collecting the last of summer’s goodies, preserving and drying for the winter. Now is the ideal time to start preparing chutneys, jams, pickles and preserves ready for the winter months.