Greenfeast

Toast the panko crumbs in a dry pan till golden, then toss with the chopped parsley and togarashi. Slide the squash back into the sauce for a couple of minutes, sprinkle with the parsley crumbs, then serve.

• The sauce is based on a classic katsu, which flatters the sweetness of the butternut. You can turn up the heat if you wish with a little more togarashi seasoning or even a splash of chilli sauce.

• The warmly spiced sauce is also worth trying with baked aubergine or roasted parsnips.

• Togarashi, the Japanese spice mix, can be found in major supermarkets, Japanese food shops and online.

BUTTERNUT, FETA, EGGS (#ulink_ba9d999e-438e-5737-af56-2e5ab2d9909d)

Crisp, light, sweet, salty.

Makes 9 fritters. Serves 3

butternut squash 300g

garlic 2 cloves

groundnut oil

eggs 2

feta cheese 200g

plain flour 4 tablespoons

thyme leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon

parsley, chopped 3 heaped tablespoons

groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep frying

Peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash. Push the squash through a spiraliser to give long, thin strings.

Peel the garlic and thinly slice it. Warm a little groundnut oil in a large, shallow pan, then add the garlic, let it sizzle for a couple of minutes then, as it starts to colour, drop in the squash and fry for five or six minutes till the colours are bright and the squash is tender but far from falling apart.

Separate the eggs. Make a batter by mixing together the egg yolks, crumbled feta cheese, plain flour, a grinding of black pepper and the chopped thyme leaves and parsley. Beat the egg whites till frothy, then fold into the batter. Toss the threads of butternut with the batter.

Warm enough groundnut oil in a deep, heavy pan to fry the fritters. When the oil is at 180°C, take a large spoonful of the batter-coated butternut and lower into the hot oil. Repeat with a further three or four, frying for three or four minutes till crisp and golden in colour. As each fritter is ready, remove with a draining spoon and rest on kitchen paper. Continue with spoonfuls of the batter until you have nine fritters. Serve hot.

• So good are these little fritters that I have tried them with other vegetables too, including shredded courgette (a success) and beetroot (less so). It is worth having something to dip them into, such as a cucumber, mint and yoghurt dip or a bowl of especially creamy hummus.

EGGS, EDAMAME, BEAN SPROUTS (#ulink_8d08a72c-d5a1-5ad2-85b3-df4c8add85ee)

A soft pillow of egg. A tangle of vegetables.

Serves 2

edamame beans, podded 200g

spring onions 8

pak choi 200g

garlic 3 cloves

large green chillies 2

groundnut oil 4 tablespoons

bean sprouts 200g

eggs 6

nigella seeds 2 teaspoons

coriander a handful

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the edamame and boil till tender – about eight minutes. Drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water.

Finely chop the spring onions, discarding the roots and any tough dark green leaves. Shred the pak choi. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Finely slice the chillies.

Warm half the groundnut oil in a large, shallow pan, fry the spring onions, garlic and chillies till soft, then add the shredded pak choi and lastly the bean sprouts, tossing them in the hot oil and cooking for three or four minutes till softened.

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Add the cooked and drained edamame, the fried vegetables and aromatics. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and fold in the nigella seeds and coriander.

Warm the remaining oil in a large metal-handled frying pan, pour in the omelette mixture and fry over a moderate heat for about eight minutes, until the edges have set and the middle is still almost liquid. Heat the oven grill. Place the frying pan under the grill and continue cooking for two or three minutes until the centre of the omelette is lightly set. (Ideally, it should be a little baveuse, verging on the point of setting.) Cut in half and serve.

• To the basic mixture you can add pretty much any vegetable you have to hand, from fried mushrooms to steamed shredded cabbage. The cooking time is brief, so most vegetables will have to be lightly cooked first. Brassicas such as long-stemmed sprouting broccoli work very well, as do any late autumn beans. I especially like steamed mustard greens.

FENNEL, PEAS, HALLOUMI (#ulink_2ddeadb4-3114-5d5f-b4e7-ae723afaf294)

Fresh green flavours for a golden autumn day.

Serves 2

fennel 300g

olive oil 3 tablespoons

halloumi 250g

For the dressing:

frozen peas 250g

basil leaves 30g

mint leaves 20g