Not on my (pumpkin) patch

Halloween this week and all things spooky, scary and sinister will creep onto the streets for trick or treating. It's an occasion for dressing up and having fun. The garden and house can be decked with spiders and cobwebs, witches and cauldrons, monsters and bats.

Pumpkins can be found in greengrocers and supermarkets, gardens and pumpkins fields. They are reasonably cheap and can be carved and displayed with a tea light inside to ward off bad spirits.

The best thing about pumpkins is actually the flesh and the seeds. It can be used in various recipes but my favourite at this time of year is soup.

- Chop the pumpkin into chunks, drizzle with oil and roast in the oven with onion, garlic and chilli

- Place in the liquidiser with vegetable stock and blitz

- Serve the soup with a soupçon of:-

- cream

- coconut milk

- olive oil

- toasted pumpkin seeds 

- fried sage leaves 

- dried chilli flakes

- nutmeg

- croutons

Pimp up your pumpkin!