Josh Eggleton is Chef Patron of multi award-winning pub The Pony & Trap in Chew Magna. Here he has created a menu especially for vegetarians.

Starter

Butternut squash, leek and smoked Cheddar wellington

Serves 2 – 4

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash

2 leeks, washed and finely shredded

200g baby spinach, washed

200g smoked cheddar cheese, grated

200ml milk

3 sprigs of thyme

Rapeseed oil

Butter

Salt and pepper

One sheet puff pastry – rolled out to 30cm x 20cm (about the size of an A4 sheet of paper)

Breadcrumbs

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp of black onion seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Peel the butternut squash and cut in half lengthways. Use a tablespoon to remove the seeds and pulp.

3. Cut one half of the squash into 1cm cubes, place the cubes in a roasting tray with a splash of rapeseed oil and a sprig of thyme. Season well and roast in the oven until just cooked.

4. Set the cubes aside to cool. Turn the oven up to 200°C.

5. Roughly chop the rest of the squash and the trimmings from the first half. Heat a knob of butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and then add the squash, the rest of the thyme and season well.

6. Sauté gently for 5 minutes, then add the milk, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the squash is soft – about 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Discard the thyme and pour the milk and squash into a liquidiser and blend until extremely smooth – about five minutes. Set the purée aside to cool.

8. Heat a frying pan to a high heat, add a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and add the leeks, quickly toss the leeks in the pan until bright in colour. Transfer them immediately to a colander placed in a tray and put in the refrigerator so they can cool down rapidly and ‘hold’ their vivid colour.

9. Wilt the spinach in a small pan with a knob of butter and some salt. Set aside to cool and then place the spinach in a tea towel or a sheet of muslin cloth, bunch up the corners and squeeze out any excess water. Chop the spinach finely.

10. In a large bowl, mix together the squash cubes, the purée, the spinach, leeks and cheddar; gently add the breadcrumbs one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is very firm. Be sure to check the seasoning, depending on the amount of breadcrumbs used you may need to add more salt and pepper.

11. Lay the puff pastry rectangle out on a lightly floured worktop with a long side facing you. Carefully lay the squash mix along the nearest edge to form a rough sausage shape about 6cm wide.

12. Starting at the edge nearest to you, gently roll the pastry over to form a neat cylinder. Brush the far edge of the pastry with the egg and roll over to ‘glue’ the cylinder together.

13. Place the cylinder on a roasting tray, brush with the remaining egg and sprinkle with the onion seeds.

14. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden, remove and allow resting for 5 minutes.

15. On a chopping board, hold the ‘Wellington’ in place with a clean cloth and slice with a bread or pastry knife to desired thickness.