Soups nd Starters

1 Butternut Squash

1 Onion

1 Large Potato

1 Large bunch of fresh Coriander

1 tsp ground coriander

1 litre chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)

150 mls Double Cream

Olive oil

Peel the squash, remove the seeds (remember to save them for next year) and cut into chunks (in this instance, size doesn't really matter). Peel and slice the onion. Peel and dice the potato.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a large saucepan, add the onions and sweat over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Don't let them take on too much colour. Add the diced squash and potato and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the ground coriander and cook for one minute. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Remove the stalks from the fresh coriander and add them to the soup. Reserve the leaves for later.

Simmer until all the vegetables are soft, remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Blitz the soup in a blender or food processor and pour it back into the pan.

Stir the double cream into the soup. Chop the coriander leaves and add them to the soup, reserving a pinch or two as a garnish.

Bring the soup back to a simmer. Serve with the reserved coriander sprinkled over the top. You could add a swirl of cream and/or a few croutons.

Any leftover soup freezes really well.

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This is a terrific little number using what, in my opinion at least, is one of the finest cheeses ever produced. I've no idea about the history of Roquefort. No doubt it was a happy accident. Some over salted cheese that no-body liked was probably left in the back of a cave somewhere for a year or two because someone couldn't bear to throw it away where it got infected by some obscure mould or other etc, etc. However it happened, the end product is cosmic. If you haven't tried Roquefort, go out and buy some now! It's salty, sweet and very, very blue. No other blue cheese tastes quiet like it. One of the best things about this recipe is that when you've crumbled the cheese into the tarts, you get to lick your fingers! Wash them well afterwards of course.

First make the pastry. Sift the flour, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add about a tablespoon of water and begin to bring the mixture together with fork. When it begins to bind, use your hands to bring the mixture together into a ball. Add a little more water if required. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Butter four individual, loose bottomed tart cases. Divide the pastry into four. Roll out each piece in turn, line the tart cases and trim away the surplus pastry from the edges. Return to the fridge and chill for a further 30 minutes (don't skip the chilling; it will stop the pastry shrinking away from the cases whilst baking).

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Put the four pastry cases on to a baking sheet. Cover the pastry with grease proof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges of the pastry are a pale golden colour. Remove from the oven, take out the paper and beans and set aside.

Melt a little butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shredded leeks and cook until softened but don't allow them to colour. Divide the leeks equally between the pastry cases. Beat together the eggs and cream and pour into the pastry cases. Crumble the Roquefort into the tarts and lick your fingers! Pop the tarts back into the oven and cook for about ten minutes until the cheese has melted and the egg has just set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Core the apples and leaving the skin on, cut them into quarters then divide the quarters again. This will give you four thick wedges for each serving. Melt a little more butter in your frying pan. Add 2 tsp of sugar and heat gently until it melts. Add the apple wedges and cook until they begin to soften and take on a little colour.

To make the dressing, put all the remaining ingredients into a jam jar and shake to combine.

To serve. Place a tart in the centre of each plate. Arrange the apple wedges around the tart (use your imagination) and spoon around the dressing. Garnish the tart with some torn Basil leaves.

We went to dinner with our friends Pam and Derek the other night. Pam served this fantastic soup which is reminiscent of Mulligatawny but actually far nicer. The spicy sweet potato both tastes and smells superb. It's one of the best soups I've ever eaten. You must try it. I don't know where the recipe hails from originally but as far as I'm concerned Pam has made it her own so it will henceforth be known as Pam's Wonderful Curried Sweet Potato Soup.

1 tbsp oil
1-2 onions chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp curry paste - preferably Madras or Korma
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper deseeded and chopped
4 pts chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp rum (optional)

To serve - sour cream and sweet paprika

In pot heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and curry paste and cook for 4 mins stirring occasionally. Reduce heat if necessary. Add the garlic clove and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the sweet potato, pepper and stock. Cook for 15 mins or until vegetables are soft. Puree the ingredients. Check consistency and add more stock or water if the soup is too thick. Add the rum - it's not really optional.

To make the pancakes, shell the prawns and remove the intestines. Place the cleaned prawns into a food processor with the flour, double cream and the egg. Season with salt and black pepper then blitz to form a fine puree. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan, drop 4 rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the pan, flatten slightly with a spatula and fry gently for about 4 minutes, turning the pancakes so that they cook to a golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining mixture so that you have 8 small pancakes.

To make the salsa, finely dice the shallots, chillies, cucumber and carrot. Place the vinegar, water, fish sauce and sugar into a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer till the sugar has dissolved. Reduce a little to form a thin syrup. Take the pan off the heat and add the finely diced ingredients. Set aside to cool.

To serve, arrange a few salad leaves and 2 pancakes per helping on to 4 plates. Spoon the salsa into 4 small bowls and serve with the pancakes.