Hopefully the above photo will have got you thinking about something to eat. Which is of course why we can now move effortlessly into a tip top winter vegetable recipe?
Roasted Vegetables with Cardamom
Serves 6
350g (12 oz) Carrots
350g (12 oz) Parsnips
350g (12 oz) Celeriac
350g (12 oz) Sweet Potato
150ml (1/4 pint) Olive Oil
4 Cardamom Pods (lightly crushed)
15ml (1 tbsp) Soft Brown Sugar
Coarse Sea Salt and Pepper
Peel all the vegetables. Quarter the carrots and parsnips lengthwise. Cut the celeriac and sweet potato into chunks.
Heat the olive oil in a roasting tin and add the vegetables, turning them to coat well. Roast in the oven at 200*c (400*f) Mark 6 for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables twice during cooking
Add the crushed cardamom pods and sugar to the vegetables, turning them to coat evenly. Return to the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes, until well browned and completely soft, but not disintegrating.
Season liberally with coarse sea salt and pepper and transfer to warmed serving dish.
Jons top tip; better still, replace the brown sugar with maple syrup or honey.

By the way the lovely snowscape photo is of the river Ouse, just round the corner from my gaff