I’ve been wanting to write about vegetarianism for a while. I find it fascinating that it goes back so long in history – from ancient Greece Pythagoreans, whom believed that a meatless diet enabled better aging of the body, to ancient India, where it has always been part of the culinary culture.

In western culture, however, it’s never been more established than now. From the 70s onwards the awareness of the importance of using recipes with higher levels of protein increased. With this came a wave of ingredients such as peanuts, beans, seeds and grain. It’s now an exception to the rule the day one can’t find a vegetarian option in a restaurant menu.

Seasonality in cooking is also on the rise and, whilst the mainstream fruit and vegetable stores are still full of imported produce, this trend is and will be, in my view, as relevant as vegetarianism is in a few year’s time. Seasonal vegetables are a useful and exciting guideline to follow to try to make vegetarian (and non-vegetarian) diets healthy and varied throughout the year.

Nothing excites me more this time of year than how much my home gardening gives me before the winter. And Pumpkins are always the best reason to love this season.