Love it or loathe it, it’s only a few days now until Halloween. What will you be doing? Will you be out doing ‘trick or treat’ with the kiddies, impatiently waiting for trick or treaters to come to collect goodies from you, down the pub with your mates, having a wild party, or hiding with the curtains shut and lights off waiting for it all to go away? Whatever you’re intending, this is the season for some lovely comfort foods. This time of year there’s a definite chill in the air, but bright sunshine too (except on rainy days – but let’s ignore those!). So, it’s time for the warming soups and comforting bakes.
In October we have the ubiquitous Pumpkin. As well as carving scary faces or fantastic engravings, pumpkin is a well under-used ingredient in the UK. The US welcome the pumpkin far more than we do. So what to do with all that flesh you’re scraping away from the skin so you can pop a candle in and scare the neighbouring kiddies…..
Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Apple Bread 
Soup
500g pumpkin flesh, chopped (all stringy middle and seeds discarded)
1 onion, finely chopped
350ml vegetable stock
300ml double cream
Gently fry your chopped onion in a little oil until soft and opaque. Add the pumpkin, stir and cook for around 10 mins until it starts to soften. Add the stock, season with pepper and a little salt (plus any other flavouring you may want to add). Bring to the boil then simmer for around another 10 mins. Add the cream, return to the boil then remove from the heat. This can be eaten exactly ‘as is’ but is best blended.
Spiced apple bread
1 basic bread dough (see https://scottishfarmhousekitchen.com/2018/02/ )
1 cooking apple/2-3 medium eating apples
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch dried Ginger
Pinch cloves
Little rock salt or similar
Peel, core and chop your apple. Stew this for a few mins over a medium heat with a tablespoon of cold water. Add your dried spices, stir well and continue to cook in for a minute or two.
Once the initial prove for the bread dough has taken place (a breadmaker will usually ‘beep’ at this stage) add your spiced apple mix. You want to set your crust to medium or light.
After the bread has baked, and while still hot, spread a little butter over the crust and scatter over a little grind of salt. You may want to top this with some pumpkin seeds, or even a touch of extra spice mix.
My second book, Picnics Parties and Drinks, https://tinyurl.com/yah6vdzs is full of ideas should you wish to have a Halloween party.
Start with the basics, but use your imagination to ‘spook’ up the dishes. Add a cut skinned slice of tomato pulp (bloody end) and little curve of white onion (a fingernail) to turn a standard cheese straw into a chopped off finger, cut sandwiches into bat shapes, use food colourings to change standard drinks into ‘blood cocktails’ etc.
A party is all about the ambience, you really can’t over-decorate. Make sure you’ve lots of spooky bits hanging from the ceiling, black cats, witches brooms, even (if you can handle it) spiders and skulls lurking. Go over the top, use dry ice to make punch bowls into bubbling witches’ brew. Good reason to not dust between now and the big day…
Choose your music well, the cheesier the better, a ‘timewarp’ or ‘thriller’ for example. Good old Internet search can provide a playlist for you if need be – even pop onto a site like Spotify or Itunes and hand over the thinking to your electronic DJ. Even have a cheesy, spooky film playing in the background (think ‘Hocus Pocus’ through to the ‘Halloween’ franchise, depending on your audience!). Have some spooky tales to tell, preferably dressed up as ‘genuine’ personal experiences. Play some games – apple bobbing can be hilarious.
Ask your guests to dress up, maybe have a prize or two for the best-dressed. 
But remember, at the strike of midnight, all spooky witchiness ends and All Hallows begins!
If you don’t like this tradition, feel free to ignore callers but please, no spitefulness. It’s just one night of the year.
If you do like it, and enjoy the kiddies calling, make your house welcoming. A couple of spooky decorations – a paper ghostie hanging from the window, a plastic skeleton at the front door or a lit carved pumpkin at the doorstep or windowsill all make it clear that you’re embracing the fun. Have a stack of mini treats at the ready, and just enjoy seeing the little ones all dressed up.
Whatever you end up doing, sad to have to say it, please stay safe. Don’t ‘trick or treat’ to strangers, keep this within your own neighbourhood and to friends and family.
Above all, enjoy enjoy enjoy
Speak soon,
Maggie x