sunday night salad

rocket
2 slices stale sour dough or ciabatta bread, cut into 2cm chunks
1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 red chilis, deseeded and cut in half
1 red onion, cut into 0.5cm wedges
4T sunflower seeds
2T pumpkin seeds
2T walnut pieces
200-400g cooked chicken, shredded
200g broad beans, cooked, skins removed, tossed in a little oil and lemon juice

~dressing~
4T lemon juice
1T balsamic vinegar
10T olive oil
Maldon
black pepper
1t sugar
1T Dijon mustard

Put pumpkin, chili and onion into baking tray and toss in olive oil and salt. Put in hot oven (180C) and bake for 10-20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes. Add the bread for the last 5 minutes or so. Once the pumpkin is cooked and the bread is toasted, remove from oven and set aside to cool. Chop cooked chilis into small pieces and return to mixture.

Toast the seeds in a dry pan with some salt until slightly browned.

Put all ingredients into a serving dish and toss well with your hands. Mix dressing in a separate vessel, shake well and drizzle over salad. Toss gently to coat ingredients in the dressing. Serve.

asian-infused pumpkin soup

pumpkin - peeled and chopped into chunks (whatever variety(s) you prefer)
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
1T curry powder
2t sugar
Maldon
freshly ground black pepper
1 stick of lemon grass - lay it flat on a board and smack it a few times with a rolling pin or pestle
1 chicken stock cube
1-2 chopped tomatoes
water
milk - or coconut milk if desired

Cook the pumpkin in boiling water until soft, drain and set aside. Sweat the onions, garlic, ginger and chili in oil until transparent. Add the curry powder and stock. Add all other ingredients, except the milk and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, fish out the lemon grass and puree the remaining pumpkin mixture with a hand-held blender. Once smooth, return to the heat, add the milk and chopped tomatoes and cook gently for a further 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and scattering of coriander leaves.