Mostly we have a roast for Sunday: pork, chicken, beef and lamb. As well as enjoying the traditional flavours of a the roast meat it goes very well with seasonal vegetables cooked in traditional ways. Yesterday, as a slight variation, we had a half shoulder of lamb cooked in a close fitting casserole with carrots, celery, home grown soisson beans, onions and garlic. Some stock halfway up the meat and then a slow braise. Served with brussel sprouts and a mash of potatoes and parsnips.

The other advantage of a having a reasonably large joint is that it often sets the agenda for the coming week. Leftovers provide the opportunity for cooking many old favourites, saves on shopping and thinking.

The weather has now taken a definite turn into winter; cooler, wetter, windier and the allotment now looks most desolate. Not much work to be done but still plenty of root crops (parsnip, beetroot, swede) to harvest. There is a little spinach and chard, a few slug eaten lettuce and plenty of parsley, but not much else in the way of green veg. Cropped, what I expect to be, the last of the second surge of artichokes. We have not been very successful with brassicas recently so the only ones we are trying for at the moment are some sprouting broccoli that won't be ready before March/April. I think the issue has been a combination of neglect, very wet spells and the endemic club root.

The leaves on the horseradish are dying off so I decided to dig some up. Couldn't but think of Ben and his enthusiasm for horseradish. He was doing some work in the house last year when he found me about to chuck out some old horseradish that had been hiding in a corner of the fridge for a couple of weeks. After he expressed an interest I gave him a taste, which he loved, wolfing down a whole teaspoon of it. Not too impressive as it had lost a lot of its punch while 'maturing' at the back of the fridge. Later in the week I made up a fresh root and again offered Ben some to taste. Not realising the substantially increased potency he put another teaspoonful into his mouth. The effect was immediate and literally explosive with Ben just managing to make it across the kitchen to the sink before spitting it all out. Very slapstick and very painful for Ben, so did I laugh?

Starting to use the winter squashes. I check them frequently and as soon as they show signs of turning soft or mouldy I cut out the bad bit and cook the rest. The Burgess Buttercup are a very rich, orange colour with a sweet flavour. These are ideal for a Thai style sweet, hot and sour soup.

The prison pallor has gone, replaced by the glow of a healthy suntan. Two days in the smoker has transformed the new ham from an unattractive pork leg of doubtful character to the kind of hunk seen hanging on the arm of up and coming starlets. And the divine odour of oak smoke is permeating the kitchen in a most satisfactory way.