Like many of the festivals in this country, Halloween has become very commercialised. Pumpkins are often just grown to make lanterns and often disregarded as vegetables in their own right. Pumpkin pie is a familiar choice for using up the flesh, but it also makes an excellent soup, especially when roasted first.

Unlike the summer squashes such as courgettes and marrows, winter squashes have a tough skin which enables them to be stored well (for up to six months).

My favourite winter squash has to be the butternut. The thick, pale skin often puts people off using it as a staple vegetable but once you have cut through it, a sweet and colourful flesh awaits which is as versatile as a potato. Squashes can be roasted, stuffed, boiled and steamed.

Roasting really brings out the natural sweetness and intensifies the colour of the flesh. It can then be served as an interesting accompaniment or added to pasta and risotto dishes.

It blends well to form a soup, or can be served as a mashed vegetable. It is a favourite with babies and young children as it contains many natural sugars.

TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

1 Preheat the oven to 200C.

2 Using a large and sharp knife, carefully cut into halves from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and the fibrous flesh and discard.

3 Place on to the chopping board with the flat side down, top and tail and cut away the skin. Then cut into chunky wedges. (You can also roast it with the skin on and peel it off after roasting, or simply eat it with the skin on).

4 Place the chunks in a roasting tin, lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Shake the tray slightly to ensure that every piece is coated.

5 Roast for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your chunks.

Here is a recipe which encompasses roasted squash. It is a delicious vegetarian dish if you use vegetarian cheese. Late season spinach is still available but ensure that you remove the thick stems.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SPINACH LASAGNE:

Ingredients (serves 4) 40g butter 1 onion, peeled and diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried herbs 40g plain flour 550ml milk Salt and pepper Pinch of ground nutmeg 1 butternut squash, roasted as above 250g fresh spinach 6 dried lasagne sheets 125g cheddar cheese 30g pine nuts

Method

1 Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic and herbs to the pan and cook for a further minute.

2 Add the flour to the pan and then gradually add the milk, stirring until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the roasted squash.

3 Wash the spinach thoroughly. Then place in a pan over a gentle heat and allow it to wilt (there should be enough water on the leaves from washing them). Allow to cool slightly and then squeeze any excess water from them.

4 Now you can assemble the lasagne in an ovenproof dish (approx 1 litre capacity, minimum). Spread a third of the vegetable sauce over the base of the dish. Add half of the spinach and then top with some of the Cheddar cheese. Add some sheets of lasagne. Then repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle over any remaining cheese and the pine nuts.

5 Bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until nicely browned and piping hot. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

The dish can be prepared in advance up to the end of stage four and then kept in the fridge for up to two days. It will take slightly longer to cook from the fridge.

Bacon is a tasty addition to this dish. Grill eight slices of back bacon until crisp, cut into small pieces and then add to the sauce along with the roasted squash.