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  As the evenings cool, out come the carbs. The row of jars on the top shelf, the glass ones with bright orange rubber rings, their contents beige, brown, creamy-white or yellow. There is freekeh, the roasted green wheat; fine golden polenta and the brown rices. There is white rice to steam for breakfast and pearl barley to toss with tufts of kale and chalk-white cheese. A frosty night is when tiny beads of fregola get their moment in the moonlight, cooked with blue-black cavolo nero and butter.

  The hob, its gas jets on low, is where, for the next few months, we will find pots of lentils ready to be tossed with roast vegetables. It is where fat pearls of mograbia will be cooked in bubbling water, drained and stirred into thick tomato sauces seasoned with cinnamon and cumin. Those gas flames will also fry parsnips for curry and warm spice pastes to fold through bowls of sticky rice.

  A deep-sided pan on the hob is where we can simmer milk to replace stock in a silk-textured risotto and warm coconut milk to calm the curry spices for a sauté of roots and spinach. It is where we could boil fregola for tossing with greens and grated Pecorino, and stir thick polenta to calm ourselves after a hectic day.

  I like beige food. Suppers of grains and starches that wrap you in the culinary version of cashmere. But there are bright, fresh tastes in the recipes that follow. White rice steamed with lime and green cardamom; a lemon grass sauce for sweet potatoes; tomatoes simmered with chilli and rice vinegar as a sauce for udon noodles. But the real winners are those eaters who need ballast against the cold – a mound of soft yellow polenta with mushrooms and garlic; aubergines simmered in coconut milk; sweet potatoes with fried croquette-like polenta with an accompanying puddle of melting cheese.

  Early in the day, as the mist clears, there is porridge to be made and, later, leftover baked suppers that can be reheated the following day on the hob. (A word of advice, let leftovers come up to room temperature before reheating, keep the heat low and the lid on.) I often use the heat of the hob to make a sauce for what is cooking in the oven. A bubble-up of cream, chopped parsley and grain-freckled mustard for a baked potato; a cheese sauce for a butter-roasted onion or melted crème fraîche, lemon juice and chopped tarragon for a sharp accompaniment for a dish of baked parsnips.

  Unlike switching on the oven, lighting the hob means supper can be on its way in minutes. I light the hob, get out a deep pan and fry mushrooms till golden, I boil ribbons of pasta till tender then toss the two together with cream, grated Parmesan and chopped herbs and I have the supper of my dreams in minutes. We can’t really ask for more than that.

  AUBERGINE, TOMATO, COCONUT MILK

  Silky aubergines. Soft spice.

  Serves 4 with rice

  garlic 4 cloves

  ginger 40g

  red chilli 1 large

  small aubergines 700g

  groundnut oil 4 tablespoons

  ground cumin 4 teaspoons

  ground coriander 4 teaspoons

  garam masala 4 teaspoons

  ground chilli 2 teaspoons

  assorted tomatoes 500g

  tomato passata 250ml

  coconut milk 500ml

  coriander leaves a handful

  Peel and finely slice the garlic, then peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut the chilli into fine slices. Cut the aubergines in half.

  Warm the groundnut oil in a deep pan, add the garlic, ginger and chilli and allow to sizzle for a few seconds, then add the aubergines, cut side down. As the aubergines start to brown add the cumin, coriander, garam masala and ground chilli and continue cooking for two minutes.

  Roughly chop and add the tomatoes, let them soften for a couple of minutes, then pour in the passata and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and stir in the coconut milk and a generous grinding of salt. Let the ingredients bubble quietly together for a good ten minutes, until the aubergines are soft enough to crush with a spoon, then serve with a little chopped coriander if you wish.

  • Basmati rice is a fine accompaniment to this. Wash the rice in warm water, then cook in a small pan under a tight lid, with enough water to cover the grains by 3cm, for ten minutes. Remove from the heat and leave, still covered by its lid, for ten minutes before fluffing up with a fork. A few cloves, green cardamom pods and a stick of cinnamon would be my preferred seasonings, added at the beginning of cooking.

  CARROTS, RICE, CORIANDER

  Soft rice. Sweet, earthy flavours.

  Serves 4

  For the soup:

  carrots 400g

  coriander, leaves and stems 10g

  butter 30g

  a large shallot

  garlic 2 cloves

  olive oil 3 tablespoons

  arborio rice 250g

  vegetable stock 600ml

  To finish:

  carrot 1oog

  olive oil 2 tablespoons

  coriander leaves a small handful

  Make the soup: Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Bring half a litre of lightly salted water to the boil in a deep pan, add the carrots, then cook for fifteen minutes or so, till tender. Put the carrots and their liquid into a blender with the coriander and butter and process to a smooth purée.

  Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic. Warm the olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan, add the shallot and garlic then let it cook over a moderate flame for about three or four minutes till fragrant, then add the rice. Ladle in the stock, a little at a time, stirring almost constantly. Continue cooking for fifteen to twenty minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but not soft.

  Stir the puréed carrots into the rice and simmer for five minutes then add ground black pepper and salt. Peel and very finely dice the remaining carrot. Warm the remaining olive oil in a pan and add the carrot. Cook for three or four minutes till the carrot is approaching tenderness. Finely chop the coriander then spoon the soup into dishes or plates and scatter over the diced carrots and coriander.

  FREGOLA, GREENS, PECORINO

  The smoky flavours of mushrooms and greens.

  Serves 2

  dried mushrooms 25g

  greens such as cavolo nero 200g

  Pecorino 200g

  fregola 200g

  butter 25g

  Bring 1 litre of water to the boil, add the dried mushrooms, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside for fifteen minutes to infuse.

  Wash and finely shred the cavolo nero. Finely grate the Pecorino. Bring the mushroom stock back to the boil, add the fregola and cook for twelve to fifteen minutes until tender but not soft. The pasta should still have a slight chewy quality. Drain the fregola and mushrooms.

  Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the shredded greens, frying them for a minute or two till they start to brighten and wilt. Fold in the drained pasta and mushrooms, then the grated Pecorino. Pile into shallow dishes.

  • Fregola is easy to find in Italian food stores. I like to look out for the Sardinian toasted variety, which has a pleasing nutty flavour.

  • In place of cavolo nero, you could use crinkly-leaved Savoy cabbage or young kale.

  • The quantity of Pecorino sounds alarming, but it is there to bring the whole dish together and offer a luxurious contrast to the otherwise humble ingredients.

  GNOCCHI, PEAS, EGG YOLK

  Hot stock, green peas and the allure of dumplings.

  Serves 2

  gnocchi 400g

  vegetable stock 500ml

  frozen peas 350g

  egg yolks 2

  Parmesan, grated 4 tablespoons

  Bring a deep pan of water to the boil and salt it generously. Add the gnocchi and let them cook for three or four minutes, until they come to the surface, or follow the instructions on the packet. Bring the stock to the boil and add the peas.

  Remove the gnocchi with a draining spoon and divide between two bowls. Ladle over the stock and peas, then separate the eggs and lower a yolk into each bowl. Sprinkle two tablespoons of grated Parmesan over each serving. Stir the yolk into the stock and peas as you eat, making an imprompt
u sauce.

  HARICOT BEANS, RICE, ONIONS

  A dinner of quiet sustenance.

  Serves 2

  onions, medium 2

  olive oil 3 tablespoons

  garlic a clove

  white long-grain rice 150g

  cloves 2

  black peppercorns 6

  haricot beans 1 × 400g can

  butter 60g

  cumin seeds 2 teaspoons

  ground turmeric 1 teaspoon

  chopped dill a handful

  Peel the onions and thinly slice into rounds. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic, peeled and finely sliced, then add the onions and leave them to cook over a moderate heat until they are soft and golden. Remove from the heat and take the onions out of the pan but keep the pan for later.

  Wash the rice in warm water, drain and transfer to a saucepan, then pour in enough water to cover it by 2cm. Salt the water, add the cloves and the peppercorns, then bring it to the boil. Lower the heat so that the rice simmers and cover the pan tightly with a lid, then leave it for ten minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the lid in place and allow the rice to rest for five minutes.

  Drain the beans. Melt the butter in a pan (use the same one you cooked the onions in), then use it to cook the cumin seeds and turmeric for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the drained beans and continue cooking until they are hot.

  Run a fork through the rice to separate the grains, check the seasoning and remove the cloves. Stir in the dill, then divide between two bowls. Spoon over the haricot beans and scatter the fried onions on top.

  • I suggest haricot beans here, but black-eyed beans, flageolet, butter beans or chickpeas are fine too. What matters is the hearty, cheap-as-chips marriage of beans and rice.

  LENTILS, SWEDE, PAPRIKA

  Sweet, roasted roots. The heartiness of lentils.

  Serves 2

  red onion 1

  swede 400g

  a large carrot

  rosemary 4 sprigs

  thyme 10 small sprigs

  olive oil 5 tablespoons

  paprika, hot 1 teaspoon

  paprika, sweet 1 teaspoon

  vegetable stock 500ml

  red lentils 100g

  small brown lentils 100g

  pappardelle 300g

  Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Peel the onion and cut into quarters. Peel the swede and cut into 2cm chunks, then scrub the carrot and cut into similar-sized pieces. Put the onion, swede and carrot into a roasting tin together with the rosemary, thyme and olive oil and turn with a large spoon to evenly coat each piece.

  Roast for an hour or until the vegetables are golden brown and tender, turning every twenty minutes or so.

  Tip the contents of the roasting tin into a large casserole, add the paprikas, deglazing the roasting tin with the vegetable stock as you go, and add to the casserole along with the rest of the stock. Add the lentils, season thoughtfully, and place on the hob at a low simmer for twenty minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the red lentils have virtually collapsed and the brown lentils are tender.

  Cook the pappardelle in deep, generously salted boiling water, for nine minutes or until they are cooked to your liking. Drain and toss with the lentil ragù.

  • I am very fond of swede, steamed and mashed with butter and black pepper, and I have used it sliced and cooked with cream and cheese with great success. But swede remains one of those vegetables I find all too easy not to see when I look in the vegetable rack. Every time I cook with swede I ask myself why I don’t do so more often.

  • Swede responds to most of the spices and especially paprika and cumin. It makes a good mash when stirred through mashed carrots, calming the carrots’ overly sweet notes.

  MILK, MUSHROOMS, RICE

  As soft and comforting as a cashmere blanket.

  Serves 2

  milk 800ml

  dried mushrooms 20g

  bay leaves 2

  black peppercorns 10

  half an onion

  shallots 2

  garlic 2 cloves

  Grana Padano 100g

  dill 15g

  olive oil 4 tablespoons

  risotto rice 400g

  butter 40g

  Pour the milk and 100ml of water into a deep saucepan, add the dried mushrooms, bay, peppercorns, onion half (peeled), and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered with a lid, for about half an hour.

  Peel and finely chop the shallots and the garlic. Grate the cheese and finely chop the dill.

  Lift the mushrooms from the milk with a draining spoon and finely chop them in a food processor, then return them to the milk. Discard the bay and onion.

  Warm the oil in a pan, add the shallot and garlic and cook over a moderate heat till translucent but not coloured. Stir in the rice, then add the mushroom milk, ladle by ladle, only adding more as each ladleful is absorbed. When all but 100ml of the milk has been used, stir in the butter and beat with a wooden spoon for one minute until the rice is thick and creamy, then add the remaining milk.

  Stir in the grated cheese, then the dill.

  • I admit I was sceptical when James first suggested a milk-based risotto, but one taste and I was convinced. The milk increases the rice’s ability to soothe and calm. The bay and onion are essential to provide a mild, savoury back note.

  MOGRABIA, TOMATOES, LABNEH

  Earthy spice. Fruity sauce. The sustenance of carbs.

  Serves 2

  onions, medium 2

  olive oil 3 tablespoons

  mograbia 200g

  chopped tomatoes 1 × 400g can

  Berbere spice mix 2 teaspoons

  cherry tomatoes 200g

  tomatoes, medium-sized 150g

  labneh 125g

  Peel the onions and slice them into 1cm rings. Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan and cook the onions till deep gold and lightly caramelised – a good thirty minutes or more.

  Bring a deep pot of water to the boil, rain in the mograbia and boil for about twenty-five minutes till tender.

  Put the chopped tomatoes in a deep casserole, add the spice mix (it is already toasted so no need to fry), then bring to the boil, adding the cherry and medium-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped. Simmer for twenty minutes, stirring regularly, then add the drained mograbia, season generously, and continue to cook for a further fifteen minutes until you have a rich, thick sauce.

  Serve with the caramelised onions and a spoonful or two of labneh.

  • Labneh is available in Middle Eastern stores and many large supermarkets. Should it evade you, use thick, strained yoghurt or spoonfuls of fromage frais.

  • The canned chopped tomatoes collapse into the sauce. The roughly chopped fresh tomatoes provide the main texture of the dish, whilst the cherry tomatoes introduce pleasing bursts of sweet-tartness.

  MUSHROOMS, SPINACH, RICE

  Red spice, white rice. Sticky, spicy, satisfying.

  Serves 2

  sushi rice 190g

  bay leaves 2

  black peppercorns 8

  roasted salted peanuts 75g

  young spinach leaves 100g

  Thai red curry paste 50g

  100ml groundnut oil plus a little extra

  king oyster mushrooms 4

  coriander leaves a handful

  Put the sushi rice in a medium-sized saucepan and pour 300ml of warm water over it. Set aside for half an hour.

  Place the pan over a moderate heat and add a half teaspoon of salt, the bay leaves and whole black peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover with a tight lid. Let the rice cook for twelve minutes, then remove from the heat.

  Using a food processor, make a paste of the roasted, salted peanuts, the washed and dried young spinach leaves, the Thai red curry paste and 100ml of groundnut oil.

  Cut the king oyster mushrooms into thick slices. Warm a shallow layer of groundnut oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook till golden, then turn and cook the other
side. Lift half the mushrooms from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

  When the rice is ready, add the paste to the mushrooms left in the pan and stir for two or three minutes till the colour darkens slightly. Fold in the cooked rice. Chop a small handful of coriander leaves, fold them into the rice, then serve with the reserved, drained mushrooms.

  • The meaty quality of king oyster mushrooms is perfect with the sticky, spicy rice, but you could use large field mushrooms too.

  • As it stands this is quite spicy, so stir in more or less curry paste as the fancy takes you.

  ORECCHIETTE, CAULIFLOWER, CHEESE

  The reassurance of pasta. The soothing notes of cheese and cauliflower.

  Serves 2

  Parmesan 200g

  a medium cauliflower

  butter 30g

  olive oil 3 tablespoons

  orecchiette 200g

  double cream 250ml

  dill fronds 10g

  Put a deep pan of water on to boil and salt it generously. Finely grate the Parmesan. Cut the cauliflower florets from the main stalk.

  Warm the butter and oil together in a shallow pan, then fry the cauliflower florets for five minutes or so until lightly crisp and golden. Put the orecchiette into the boiling water and cook for about nine minutes or until tender.

  Pour the cream into the cauliflower, add the grated Parmesan and lower the heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the cauliflower and cream. Season with black pepper. Chop the dill fronds, stir into the pasta and serve.