Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Serves 4-6

Boiling winter root vegetables can mean they lose their flavor and goodness, but roasting intensifies their flavor, and the skins crisp up, too. Celery root, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and Jerusalem artichokes could all be substituted if you prefer. This is a great side dish with any of the roasts in this book.

4 medium parsnips, about 1 lb 5 oz in total

5 medium carrots, about 1 lb 5 oz in total

� cup light olive oil

6 cloves garlic

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey, or more if you like

salt and pepper

1 - Preheat the oven to 425F. Peel the rutabaga, but simple scrub the parsnips and carrots, leaving the skins on. Cut all of the root vegetables into large pieces, all about 1 � inches across. Put into a large (ideally nonstick) roasting pan. It looks like a lot of vegetables, but they will shrink considerably in the oven as they roast. Spoon the olive oil over the top, then rub the oil all over the vegetables with your hands. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, until starting to soften.

2 - Meanwhile, pick the needles from the rosemary sprigs, then chop them finely. Stir the garlic cloves (still in their skins) and rosemary into the vegetables. Return the pan to the oven, then roast for 20 more minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and golden around the edges. The garlic cloves will be tender within their papery skins.

3 - While the vegetables are still sizzling hot, drizzle the maple syrup or honey over them. Serve the vegetables immediately, making sure everyone gets a garlic clove, ready to squeeze.

Apple Pie

Preparation time: 35 minutes, plus 45 minutes for chilling and standing

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a big, beautiful apple pie. Add a handful of blackberries to the filling if you like, and be sure to enjoy it with big scoops of ice cream or dollops of whipped cream.

1 tbsp flour, plus extra for rolling out

2 quantities basic pie crust, or 12 (14-oz) packages store-bought pie dough

1 organic lemon

3 � lb apples, such as Granny Smith, Rome, Jonagold, or Golden Delicious

1/3 cup fine sugar, plus 1 tbsp

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large egg

ice cream or whipped cream (see below), to serve (optional)

1 - Working on a floured surface, shape the dough into 2 discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap them in plastic wrap, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until firm but not hard. If using ready-made pastry, leave the blocks as they are.

2 - Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the lemon into a large pan. Peel and core the apples, then cut into very chunky slices, around 1 inch thick. As you chop each apple, put the pieces into the pan and toss with the lemon juice. The lemon juice will keep the apple from turning brown.

3 - Cook the apples gently in the pan over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the slices are just starting to soften and look juicy at the bottom of the pan. Drain the apples, if necessary, in a colander, discarding the liquid, then put them in a bowl and gently stir in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and the cinnamon. Let cool.

4 - Flour the work surface and a rolling pin. Using the rolling pin, press shallow ridges evenly across the larger piece of dough, then rotate it by a quarter turn. Repeat this until the dough is about � inch thick. This will help the dough to stretch without becoming tough.

5 - Have read a 9-inch pie pan. It should have a lip so that the dough has something to stick to. Now roll out the dough. Push the rolling pin in one direction only, turning the dough by a quarter turn every few rolls, until it is less than � inch thick. Using the rolling pin to help, lift the dough over the plate.

6 - If you have made your own dough, use the leftover white from the egg you separated earlier. If you have used store-bought pie crusts, separate the egg now and reserve the white. Beat the white a little with a fork. Dip a pastry brush into the egg white, then brush lightly around the lip of the pie crust. It will help the top and bottom pieces stick together.

7 - Put the apples in the dough-lined dish, forming a small mound.

8 - Roll out the second piece of dough as described in steps 4 and 5, until it is large enough to cover the top of the pie. Gently drape the dough over the top of the apples, then press it down at the edges to seal.

9 - Trim the edges using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, then slash the pastry over the apples a few times, so that steam can escape while the apples cook.

10 - If you're feeling creative, press the edges of the pastry together with your thumbs to make a ridged pattern. Cut a few leaves from the excess dough. Stick them onto the pie with a little of the egg white.

11 - Brush the top of the pie evenly with a thin layer of egg white, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Chill for 15 minutes (or for up to 1 day). Preheat the oven to 375F.

12 - Place the pie on a baking sheet, then place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden all over. Let stand for at least 30 minutes before slicing, to allow the juices and apples to settle and the crust to firm a little. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

HOW TO WHIP CREAM

Choose heavy or whipping cream and make sure that both the cream and the bowl are cold. Start whipping with hand-held electric beaters on medium-low speed, adding a little confectioners' sugar if you like. Whip until the cream just starts to hold its shape in soft peaks, then turn off the beaters immediately-it's important not to over-whip it.