WITH the nights drawing in and winter well and truly on its way, everyong is turning away from summer foods and seeking out hale and hearty winter fare. Fortunately at this time of year all our delicious root vegetables are on fine form. Our organic box last week contained carrots, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, spuds, onions and a beautiful head of cabbage.

Now, they are loads of individual dishes you can make with these vegetables, but on these hateful cold evenings there's nothing better than lumping them all together and making a delicious flavoursome hot-pot, so easy and simple to prepare but bursting with flavour and as homely as it comes. To add to the deliciousness, and to make it even more filling, I love to add dumplings to hot pot.

INGREDIENTS

HOT POT

300g carrots

400g parsnips

300g Jerusalem artichokes

1/2 a small swede

300g potatoes

1 onion

1/2 a head of green cabbage

11/2 litres vegetable stock

2 tsp clear honey

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 clove garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

DUMPLINGS

3 shallots

20g vegetable suet

200g self-raising flour

2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, thyme)

3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

pinch of nutmeg

butter for frying

1. Peel and chop the carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede and artichokes into chunks finely chop the onion and garlic. Roughly slice the cabbage.

2.Fry the coriander and cumin seeds, garlic and onion in the oil until soft. Add 1 litre of the stock, the honey and the root vegetables and simmer until tender.

3. For the dumplings, fry the shallots in butter until soft. Mix the suet, flour seasoning, herbs, parmesan and nutmeg and season. Add the shallots then add enough water to make a dough. Shape into small dumplings and poach in the remaining stock for about 10 minutes.

3. Stir the cabbage into the hotpot and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with the dumplings.