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  Split the muffins horizontally, toast them, then spread with the blue cheese butter. Pile the mushrooms on top and eat.

  NAAN, MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES

  Crisp dough. Soft cheese. Sweet-sharp tomatoes.

  Makes 2

  mozzarella 125g

  feta 100g

  cherry tomatoes 150g

  spring onions 3

  naan 2

  coriander leaves a handful

  Set the oven at 220°C/Gas 8.

  Coarsely grate the mozzarella into a bowl, then crumble the feta into it. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and roughly slice the spring onions. Mix everything together and grind in a little black pepper.

  Place the naan on a baking sheet and divide the tomato, mozzarella and feta mixture between them. Bake for twelve minutes, or until the naan is crisp and the cheese is pale gold in patches. Scatter with coriander leaves.

  • Naan provides a generously-sized base for anything you might usually put on a pizza. More interesting than most commercially-made pizza bases, the best naan are lighter and fluffier and will crisp splendidly in the oven with their cargo of melting cheese.

  • I love the cultural mix here of warm Indian dough with an Italian topping. Mozzarella provides a pool of molten cheese, to which you can add something more strongly flavoured, such as Parmesan or Pecorino, or a mixture of cheeses you wish to use up.

  A black, wet, winter’s night. The kitchen is dark save for the light from the oven. A light as sweet as treacle. In the oven is a wedge of pumpkin or a humble baked potato, a roasting cauliflower or golden roots (parsnip, carrot, sweet potato) whose edges are slowly browning. There may be the scent of warm thyme or garlic. The burnt-sugar-and-butter smell of roasting onions or the resinous notes of rosemary twigs baking. Your oven may be home to a wide earthenware dish of sweet potato and cream, its edges bubbling and caramelising in the heat. Or it could just be witness to a single baked tattie, snowflakes of sea salt on its crisping skin, its insides slowly turning to a floury butter-yellow fluff.

  My oven gets twice the use in winter it does during the other seasons. Occasionally I will slide a potato or more often a sweet potato on the bottom shelf and leave it to bake whilst I make a salad – of watercress and fennel or red treviso and oakleaf lettuce. Winter salad leaves are crisp, bitter and pale (chicory, Castelfranco, frisée), and benefit from citrus notes of orange and grapefruit, of toasted nuts warm from the pan, and from dressing spiked with mustard, grated horseradish or ginger.

  I like the thought that whilst baking or roasting no flavour has the chance to escape, every bit of it trapped by the walls of the oven. In reality, a crust forms on top of the food rather than underneath, as it does with food cooked on the hob. A crust that seems to seal in flavour. But these of course are the romantic notions of a hungry cook, not those of the scientist. I know which I would rather be.

  There is an ease to food that is baked or roasted. The oven does much of the work for us. There is no moving food around the pan, turning or stirring. No tinkering with the heat. That said, it is often a good idea to baste something as it cooks – a pumpkin spooned with the butter that has melted around it; a mushroom that is baking in a pool of olive oil and spices will benefit from a little TLC.

  The dish in which you bake or roast matters little as long as it is strong enough not to buckle in the heat. You can bake in an aluminium tray if you have to. In my experience, the thinner the tin, the more likely the contents are to burn. Deep-sided dishes are good for baking, less so for roasting. Vegetables cooked in a deep-sided dish are less likely to toast and brown, as they tend to produce steam. To get a good toasted crust all round, roast in a shallow-sided tin.

  The one oven-based supper to which I return time and again is that of simple roast vegetables. Peeled parsnips or sliced aubergines, onions or red peppers that you have tossed in olive oil and butter, salt, pepper and herbs and roast at a high temperature till the edges are sweet and dark. I let them cool, then dress them with their caramelised cooking juices and a squeeze of lemon or some red wine vinegar. I eat them on their own or with a mash of canned beans or a ladleful of pale golden polenta, or trickle them with a dressing of tahini and yoghurt. Opening the fridge on a winter’s night and finding a dish of yesterday’s roast vegetables is as good as an impromptu supper gets. For which read: make twice as much as you need, leaving some to come home to tomorrow.

  ARTICHOKES, WINTER ROOTS, SMOKED SALT

  Deep drifts of mash. Toasted, smoky vegetables.

  Serves 4

  For the mash:

  celeriac 750g

  Jerusalem artichokes 250g

  butter 50g

  hot vegetable or chicken stock 250ml

  For the roast roots:

  carrots, small to medium 8

  parsnips 2

  garlic 6 cloves

  beetroots, small raw 4

  thyme 8 sprigs

  butter 75g

  sunflower seeds 3 tablespoons

  parsley, chopped 2 heaped tablespoons

  smoked salt 2 teaspoons

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Peel the celeriac and cut into large pieces, about the size of roast potatoes. Put them in a roasting tin. Peel the artichokes, then add them to the roasting tin. Break the butter into small pieces and dot over the vegetables, season, then roast for about an hour until lightly browned. They mustn’t crisp like roast potatoes, but instead develop pale gold, lightly caramelised edges. Test them for softness; a skewer should slide through them with ease.

  Scrub or peel the carrots as you wish, then cut them in half lengthways. Do the same with the parsnips, peeling them if their skins are tough (as they often can be) and cutting them in half. Put the carrots and parsnips in a roasting tin. Tuck the garlic cloves, still in their skins, amongst the carrots. Trim the little beetroots, cut into quarters, then add to the tin along with the sprigs of thyme and the butter. Season generously, then bake for about an hour. Turn the vegetables over once or twice as they roast.

  Tip the roast celeriac and artichokes into a food processor, add most of the stock and reduce to a smooth purée, introducing more of the stock as necessary. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as you wish. In a small pan, toast the sunflower seeds over a high heat till they smell nutty, then mix with the chopped parsley and smoked salt.

  Spoon the mash on to a serving dish, add the roast vegetables, scatter with the seeds and parsley and serve.

  BRUSSELS SPROUTS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA, DILL

  Greens, herbs and cream.

  Serves 3

  Brussels sprouts 300g

  butter 40g

  olive oil 2 tablespoons

  dill, chopped 15g

  smoked mozzarella 250g

  double cream 250ml

  For the crumbs:

  butter 40g

  coarse breadcrumbs a handful

  dill, chopped 3 tablespoons

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Trim and shred the Brussels sprouts. Warm the butter and olive oil in a shallow pan, then add the sprouts and cook for two minutes until they brighten in colour. Fold in the chopped dill, a little salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Cut the smoked mozzarella into thick slices.

  Put half the sprouts into a baking dish, place most of the mozzarella amongst them, then a second layer of sprouts, finishing with the remaining cheese.

  Make the crumbs: warm the butter in a shallow pan, add the crumbs and cook till golden, then stir in the chopped dill. Pour the cream over the sprouts and cheese, scatter with the crumbs and dill and bake for twenty-five minutes or until bubbling.

  • A dish to warm the soul. You could use shredded cabbage, cauliflower or lightly cooked kale in place of the sprouts. The mozzarella could be replaced by a blue cheese of some sort, which would flatter the greens.

  • Should you have any leftover cooked pasta, you could incorporate it with the sprouts and cheese.

  BUTTER BEANS, PEPPERS, AUBERGINES

  Clouds of mash. Sweet, sharp
juices.

  Serves 4

  small red peppers 400g

  cherry tomatoes 250g

  small aubergines 400g

  garlic 6 fat cloves

  rosemary 3 large sprigs

  olive oil 5 tablespoons

  butter beans 1 × 650g jar or 2 × 400g cans

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Place the whole peppers, cherry tomatoes and aubergines in a roasting tin. Tuck the garlic cloves, still in their skins, and the rosemary among the vegetables, then spoon over the olive oil. Let the vegetables roast in the preheated oven for thirty to forty minutes, until they are approaching softness, then push them to one side of the roasting tin. Drain the butter beans and tip them into the tin. Stir the beans to coat them in oil and roasting juices, then return to the oven and cook for a further twenty minutes until all is soft and golden.

  Remove the garlic from the roasting tin and squeeze each clove from its skin into the bowl of a food processor. Tip in the warm beans and process to a thick, fluffy purée. Check the seasoning, then pile the purée on to a serving plate and place the vegetables on top. Spoon over any juices.

  • If you can track down the large, flat Judión beans in jars then I recommend them for this. They are particularly soft and buttery and produce a cloud-like mash. Canned butter beans work well enough, are cheap as chips and easier to locate. You may like to add a thick slice of butter as you blend them. The vegetables can be roasted ahead of time and served warm or even cold, but the beans must be blended while they are still warm, if you are to achieve a smooth finish.

  • Once the weather cools and summer slides towards autumn, you could roast slices of orange-fleshed squash instead of the aubergines or use parsnips in place of the butter beans. The real point of the dish is the sweet, herb-infused roasting juices trickling into the cloud of mash.

  CABBAGE, BERBERE SPICE, CRUMBS

  Toasted cabbage. Crisp crumbs. Green peas.

  Serves 2

  cabbage 300g

  olive oil 12 tablespoons

  fresh white breadcrumbs 80g

  Berbere spice mix 1 teaspoon

  frozen peas 100g

  mint leaves 12

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Slice the cabbage into 2cm-thick pieces and put them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Trickle over six tablespoons of the oil and bake for twenty-five minutes.

  Warm three tablespoons of the oil in a shallow pan, add the crumbs and toast them till golden, tossing them from time to time. Stir in the Berbere spice mix.

  In a food processor blend the peas with the remaining oil and the mint leaves until lightly chopped. Stir into the warm crumbs and let the peas thaw in the residual heat. Remove the cabbage from the oven, slide onto plates with a fish slice or palette knife, then scatter with the peas and crumbs.

  • A crisp, rock hard-white cabbage is probably more suitable for roasting than an open-leaved dark green Savoy, which tends to cook to a crisp too easily.

  • This recipe works with Brussels sprouts too. Slice them thickly and lay them out on the baking sheet. The result will be messier to serve, but will taste just as good.

  • Berbere spice mixes are available from any major supermarket or speciality grocers. The mix is sweet and warm rather than hot and usually contains chilli, cumin, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and fenugreek. Good for adding to melted butter and tossing with steamed long-grain rice or couscous.

  CARROTS, SPICES, PANEER

  Sweet vegetables. Earthy spice.

  Serves 2–4

  small carrots, assorted colours and sizes 800g

  groundnut oil 5 tablespoons

  coriander seeds 1 teaspoon

  cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

  nigella seeds 1 teaspoon

  black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

  paneer 250g

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Trim and scrub the carrots and put them in a large roasting tin. Pour over the oil and toss gently to coat. Roast for forty to forty-five minutes till tender, tossing them halfway through.

  Warm the coriander, cumin, nigella and mustard seeds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. As soon as the spices smell toasted and are starting to pop, crush them coarsely using a pestle and mortar, or give them a brief ride in a spice mill. Scatter the spices over the carrots with a little salt and toss gently, then remove the carrots from their tin and transfer to a serving dish.

  Place the tin over a moderate heat and add the paneer, crumbling it as you go. Let the paneer fry, with the occasional turn, until it is golden. Scatter the paneer over the carrots and serve.

  • If paneer isn’t your thing, it is well worth making this with feta cheese or halloumi instead. I have also brought these roast, spiced vegetables out with soft, fresh goat’s cheese to add in cloud-like mounds at the table.

  • Parsnips, cut into thin lengths, can work here too and take this particular spicing well.

  CAULIFLOWER, ONIONS, BAY

  Cloves, spring onions and bay. Flavours to soothe.

  Serves 4

  a cauliflower, about 1kg in weight

  olive oil 6 tablespoons

  white onions, large 2

  butter 75g

  milk 500ml

  bay leaves 3

  cloves 3

  black peppercorns 8

  spring onions 4

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Trim the cauliflower, removing any imperfect or tough leaves, keeping any small, young ones in place. Put the cauliflower stem down in a roasting tin, pour five tablespoons of the olive oil over and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. When the oven is up to heat, roast the cauliflower for fifty minutes to an hour, or until the florets are golden brown. Check its tenderness with a metal skewer – it should go through the thickest part of the cauliflower with ease.

  While the cauliflower roasts, make the sauce. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm the remaining olive oil and the butter in a deep pan over a gentle heat, add the onions and let them cook, covered by a lid, till soft and translucent. Let them take their time, they need a good twenty-

  five minutes, and stir them regularly, so they do not colour.

  Pour the milk over the softened onions, add the bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cover, leaving the milk to infuse for forty minutes.

  Remove the bay, peppercorns and cloves, then use a stick blender (or, better I think, put the onions and milk into a blender) and reduce to a smooth and creamy sauce. Season carefully, then finely chop the spring onions. Return the onion sauce to its pan, stir in the spring onions and warm over a moderate heat, stirring almost continuously, till hot. Lift the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Pour over the onion sauce and serve.

  CHEDDAR, TARRAGON, EGGS

  Light, airy. A cheese and tarragon pudding.

  Serves 2

  To prepare the dish:

  a knob of butter

  Parmesan, finely grated 2 tablespoons

  For the pudding:

  milk 300ml

  a bay leaf

  a small onion

  butter 55g

  plain flour 50g

  eggs, large 4, separated

  strongly-flavoured, firm cheese, such as Yarg, Gruyère, Cheddar, grated or cut into small pieces 100g

  tarragon leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons

  Parmesan, grated 1 tablespoon

  Lightly butter the inside of a deep soufflé or similar dish, measuring 20cm across the top, then scatter in one tablespoon of the grated Parmesan, tipping the dish from side to side to make sure the cheese sticks to the butter.

  Put a baking sheet in the oven and set at 200°C/Gas 6. Bring the milk to the boil in a small pan together with the bay leaf and peeled onion. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.

  Melt the butter in a small, heavy-based saucepan, stir in the flour and leave over the heat for two or three minutes, stirring almost continuously. Stir in the warm milk, gradually at first (you can chuck the bay and on
ion at this point – they have done their work), then a little faster, till you have a thick sauce. Let it come to an enthusiastic bubble, then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for at least five minutes, until it thickens.

  If your sauce looks lumpy, whisk it fiercely until it is smooth. Remove from the heat, cool briefly, then stir or whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Work quickly, otherwise the egg will cook before it gets stirred in.

  Stir in the grated cheese and the chopped tarragon. In a large bowl and using a large balloon whisk, beat the egg whites till stiff and frothy. Fold them gently but firmly into the cheese sauce, then immediately scrape into the buttered dish.

  Smooth the top lightly, scatter with the remaining Parmesan, then place on top of the hot baking sheet and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes.

  To test if your pudding is done, push the dish firmly with your oven glove: it should shudder but not wobble violently. The crust should be pale to mid-brown, the centre should be soft and oozing. Remove and serve immediately. If you stick your spoon in and the middle is too liquid, put it back in the oven. It will still rise.

  • The cheese is up to you. This can be a good way of using up bits you have lurking in the fridge. However, the flavour is best when the cheese has a good, strong character. Waxy, budget cheese doesn’t have the clout – a strong farmhouse cheese with some bite to it is what you need.