It's the month to look ahead and get down to some good hearty cooking, and with all the root vegetables that have gradually crept into our shops and supermarkets over the past month, there is plenty on offer to make delicious thick soups and casseroles.

Squashes and pumpkins are in abundance this month, and we still have plump home-grown courgettes keeping company with marrows stacked high on market stalls which can be enjoyed in a variety of difference dishes, courgettes, although available most of the year, are particularly delicious when home-grown, and not considered a luxury as they were some twenty years ago.

The game season is now in full swing and lasts until January, with pheasants easily obtainable from your local butcher and farmers' markets, plucked, dressed and ready for the oven. And do look for winter cuts of meat, which make a change from the barbecue packs available in the summer months.

So this month, although we're spoilt for choice, we have a pot roast, a warming casserole, and a soup to ward off the chills at any late-night bonfire party you may be having. To celebrate the arrival of Halloween we have a pumpkin pie, and for those not too keen on pumpkin, a crunchy apple and pear crumble.

Finally, to round off this month's recipes there are chocolate brownies, also ideal to hand round at a bonfire night party, or delicious served as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream, or with just a cup of tea.


Beef Pot Roast

This dish has a rich dark brown gravy, with the added flavour of the strong red wine and black olives. Serves 6-8 (halve ingredients for 4 servings)

Ingredients: 2kg (4lb) lean topside or casseroling beef; 50ml (2floz) olive oil; 3 large onions, peeled; 1 garlic clove; 125ml (4floz) strong red wine; 10 dried prunes; 110g (4oz) mushrooms; 110g (4oz) stoned, tinned olives. Salt, pepper and a generous pinch of powdered ginger.

Method: Rub meat with salt, pepper and ginger. Heat oil in a pan. Slice onions very thinly, crush garlic clove. Fry all together until soft and golden. Place prepared meat in a pot-type casserole. Pour all fried pan contents on top, add wine and cook at 140C, 275F, Gas Mk 1 for 2 hours. Cover prunes with hot strained weak tea, and reduce liquid to 12floz. Add tea, olives and prunes around the cooked meat in pot, cover and cook at the same temperature for another 25-30 minutes. Turn into serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Noodles or rice go well with this dish.


Venison Casserole

Many supermarkets now sell pre-packed venison, already cut into cubes and ready for use, ideal for busy cooks. If you want to buy it fresh from your butcher, it's in season from June to January. Large joints of venison are best roasted, but a small amount will make an excellent casserole and, again, you can halve the amount given in this recipe, according to the number of people you are cooking for. Serves 6.

Ingredients: 1.5kg (3lb) Venison (roe deer); 2 tbsp flour; 1 onion chopped; salt and black pepper; 110g (4oz) bacon (in one piece); 150ml (¼ pint) red wine; 300ml (½ pint stock or water; 2 tbsp red currant jelly; bouquet garni; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; a little olive oil.

Method: Cut venison into 2.5cm (1 inch) square pieces. Trim rind from bacon and cut into rectangles. Heat oil in frying pan and sauté bacon pieces gently for a few minutes, then place in a casserole dish. Coat the pieces of venison with flour and sauté in bacon fat until well browned. Transfer to casserole. Add wine vinegar, stock or water to frying pan and heat through, stirring in all the bits from the sides of pan. Strain this liquid over venison. Add chopped onion, red currant jelly, bouquet garni, red wine and season well. Cover casserole and cook in preheated oven 170C, 325F, Gas Mk 3 for 2 - 2½ hours until meat is tender. Thicken juices with little corn flour in last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Serve with mashed potatoes and cabbage or boiled rice. This dish can be cooked the day before and reheated, which I think brings out the flavour and tenderises the meat further.


East Vegetable Soup

This soup is a real 'easy peasy one', making use of the root vegetables now available. It freezes well and makes a substantial meal for lunch when the cook is pressed for time.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter or oil; 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 2 leeks washed and sliced; 1 large potato, peeled and diced; 2 carrots peeled and chopped; 2 sticks of celery, washed and chopped; 4 tbsp frozen peas; 1.5 litres (3 pints) water or stock, salt and pepper, fresh nutmeg and freshly chopped parsley.

Method: Heat butter or oil in large pan and gently cooked onion and leeks until soft. Add other vegetables, cook until softened with pan covered for another 10 minutes, stir often. Add stock, salt and pepper, bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Liquidise half of the soup, then add to the other half, stir in the grated nutmeg and parsley. Add seasoning and serve piping hot with crusty bread.


Pumpkin Pie

A Thanksgiving dessert which our American cousins make to celebrate the occasion on the fourth Thursday in November. Canned pumpkin is quite easily obtainable from our supermarkets and shops, but if you have any pumpkin flesh left over after carving out your Halloween lantern, you can use that. Serves 8.

Ingredients: 250g (9oz) ready-made short crust pastry; 425g tin of pumpkin; 175g (6oz) caster sugar; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp nutmeg; 2 eggs beaten; 410ml can evaporated milk; icing sugar, for dusting. Cream fraiche to serve.

Method: Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mk 6. Roll out the pastry and use to line a 23cm/9in deep tart tin or pie dish. Chill for 20 minutes. To make filling: Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices with the eggs. Add the evaporated milk and whisk until smooth then pour into pastry lined pie dish. Bake for 10minutes, then reduce the heat to 150C, 300F Gas Mk 2. Bake for a further 45-50 minutes until the filling is set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream fraiche.


Crunchy Apple Pie and Pear Crumble

A hot fruity pudding with a crunchy crumble topping. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 450g (1lb) Bramley apples; 450g (1lb) ripe pears; 2 eggs; 150g (5oz) caster sugar; 40g (1½ ozs) plain flour; 150ml (¼ pint) fromage frais; 300ml (½ pint)milk. Topping: 110g (4oz) plain flour; 75g (3oz); butter; 50g (2oz) rolled oats; 25g (1oz) ground almonds; 25g (1oz) caster sugar.

Method: Peel, quarter and core pears and put into buttered 1 litre (1¾ pints) ovenproof dish, add peeled and sliced apples to dish. Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in flour and fromage frais. Gradually stir in milk. Pour beaten mixture over pears and apples and bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mk 5 for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in oats, ground almonds and sugar. Sprinkle over partially cooked fruit and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until crumble is golden brown and fruit juices bubble through. Serve with homemade custard, also tastes good cold, if you have any left, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.


Chocolate Brownies

This recipe uses less sugar than is normally used for Chocolate Brownies, giving a more chocolaty flavour and a crisper texture.

Ingredients: 50g (2oz) walnuts; 75g (3oz) butter; 110g (4oz) plain flour; 50g (2oz) caster sugar; 50g (2oz) plain chocolate; 1 medium egg; ¼ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; milk to mix.

Method: Chop the walnuts and melt chocolate in a basin over hot water. Cream together the butter and sugar and add well beaten egg. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Now add the nuts, melted chocolate and just enough milk to bring mixture to a soft consistency. Spread the mixture into greased baking or Swiss roll tin and dredge a little sugar on top. Bake in preheated oven 180C, 350F, Gas Mk 4 for about 30 minutes. Cut into neat squares or fingers whilst still warm.

Next month Christmas preparations head the housewives' list. Puddings and cakes should be made by mid-November and mincemeat soon afterwards. But for those pressed for time I will be giving recipes for a Christmas Pudding that can be made on Christmas Eve and quick mincemeat to start the run up to Christmas.