In an ideal world I’d cut right back on the meat and focus on the vegetables

Ordering everything weeks in advance, planning and sourcing of ingredients. With all this flapping around we tend to give nothing but a cursory glance to the vegetables. A traditional turkey dinner normally includes boiled sprouts, carrots, roast and mash potatoes. It’s all a bit bland really. In an ideal world I’d cut right back on the meat and really focus on the vegetables.

We’re right in the middle of root vegetable season. The parsnips have had a much needed frost to intensify their sweetness and carrots, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes and celeriac are at their best now. Rather than steam or boil the carrots the first recipe calls for them to be braised. Whenever you make a stew one of the best things is the flavour the carrots have picked up from the beef. When you braise them they pick up all the taste from the stock. Cook them slowly in butter, onion and garlic first and then top with stock and finish in the oven. You could do this the day before, store in the fridge and then cook on the cooker top to finish. Like a good soup of stew these carrots actually taste better the next day.

Cauliflowers are also in prime condition at the moment. In the second recipe here they’re paired with parsnips and roasted together. Broighter Gold rapeseed oil do a hickory smoked variety that works particularly well here. Don’t peel the parsnips, just give them a good scrub and cut them in half. Half way through the cooking add some maple syrup to help them caramelize. Dukkah is a middle eastern nut and spice based condiment. It would be used to sprinkle over meats, hummus, dipped in oil with bread and many uses. Parsnips and cauliflower love spice and the dukkah really adds something special. The recipe calls for more than you need but store in an airtight container and use as a flavour enhancer for vegetables, grilled meats and bread.

Celeriac is one of my favourite vegetables and here it’s whizzed into a puree with apple and topped with some roast celeriac. The contrast of tastes and textures works perfectly. You could add a sprinkling of dukkah to this combo too.

The final recipe is for beetroot and red cabbage cooked together and given the pickle treatment with balsamic vinegar. We associate pickles being served cold but this dish is great served hot.

All the vegetables you need – now you just need a cursory glance to the bird and ham.