It's that time of year when the vegetable garden needs to be turned into things so we can start planting the winter salads. And, as is the case in all home gardens, we find ourselves with a glut of tomatoes at the end of the summer. 

While you can always make enough passata and tomato sauce to keep the freezer stocked throughout the winter, my daughter likes to celebrate the beginning of autumn with a day spent in the kitchen making soup. Below is her recipe for roast tomato and garlic soup. She says 'it's an absolute doddle, and you can hide away in the kitchen with a book and pretend you're busy cooking because the house smells of things roasting'.

olive oil
garlic (I use a whole head, but you might prefer less. No fewer than 4 fat cloves.)
tomatoes (lots, probably 650g - 800g)
750ml - 1l vegetable stock

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Remove the tops from the tomatoes, and break the garlic into cloves but do not peel. Put the tomatoes and garlic in a roasting tin with enough olive oil to coat, and then roll them around till they're covered. Roast them for around 25-30 minutes, and shaking the tray occasionally to stop the tomatoes from sticking. They're ready when they've slumped, and the skins are beginning to catch. Bigger tomatoes will mean a slightly longer cooking time, but keep an eye on them.
3. Put the tin on the side to cool while you prepare the stock. If you are too busy to make your own stock, Marigold Swiss Vegetable bouillon works brilliantly. Aim for 750ml of stock made to 1l strength, as you want to be able to add water without diluting the flavour if the soup comes out too thick.
4. Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, pick out the garlic cloves. Add the tomatoes and the cooking oil to the stock, then squeeze in the roasted garlic clove by clove. It should come out of the skins like toothpaste.
5. Blend the mixture in batches, then return to the pan by passing it through a sieve. (This is to get rid of skins. You can skip the sieving and call the soup rustic if you think life's too short.) If the blended soup is too thick, add small amounts of water while stirring until it reaches the right consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, then either set aside and reheat when needed or serve immediately.

Serves 4ish, and is even nicer with a drizzle of pesto.

In the woods near my house, the floor is covered with so many spiked chestnut shells (or are they skins?) that I'm loath to take the dog in that direction on his walks. It can't be comfortable to walk on what is essentially a carpet of thorns.

But the chestnuts aren't all bad news - while I've altered my walking habits temporarily, it does mean that the nuts themselves are back in season and ready to eat.

My daughter, who recently came back from a weekend in South Korea, told me that one of the unexpected things she'd seen on her travels was street food vendors dealing solely in roasted chestnuts. In England and much of Europe, roasted chesnuts are linked to Christmas. But in South Korea - if Mokpo is anything to go by, that is - roasted chestnuts are sold and eaten as snacks during rock concerts and on the beach.

Roasted chestnuts also form the cornerstone of this recipe, a creamy - but cream-free - and delicate soup that can be put together in very little time. It first ran in the New York Times around ten years ago, and has been part of the family repertoire ever since.

10 large chestnuts, peeled or unpeeled
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 sticks chopped celery
1 small onion, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
900ml - 1l good chicken stock
chopped celery leaves or parsley for garnish

1. If you have peeled chestnuts, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, preheat oven to 180C. Using a sharp paring knife, make an X on the flat side of each chestnut. Roast in an open pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skins begin to open away from the meat. Remove both outer and inner skins while chestnuts are warm.
2. Place olive oil or butter in deep skillet or casserole, and turn heat to medium. A couple of minutes later, add celery, onion and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add stock and chestnuts, bring to a boil and partly cover. Lower heat, and simmer until chestnuts are mushy, about 30 minutes.
3. Carefully puree soup in a blender, or cool and then puree. Measure and add water to total 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve, garnished with celery leaves or parsley.

Serves four.

Recipe via The Minimalist at The New York Times and converted from cups.