October recipe: Lentil shepherd’s pie

This month’s recipe is a warming lentil shepherd’s pie that is packed with nutrients and puts a spin on a traditional recipe. Utilise uncommon vegetables to treat your tastebuds. Rather than the traditional recipe of mashed potato on the surface, this recipe uses celeriac and butter beans.

Celeriac may be slightly unusual and uncommon in recipes, but it’s a fantastic source of vitamin K and is high in vitamin C too. Vitamin C is essential for helping to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Celeriac seeds can be sown in March, in pots in a propagator or cold frame. Once germinated, they can be potted up into individual pots and kept in the cold frame, greenhouse, or on a brightly lit windowsill.

Fertile soil, plenty of moisture, and lots of sun is needed to keep celeriac growing happily. The seedlings can be hardened off before planting outdoors in May or June. Plant out the young plants with approximately 15-30cm between them.

When the plants mature, remove the outer leaves so that the crown is exposed and can develop. Remember to remove any side shoots if they grow. Between October and March, the celeriac will be ready to harvest. The great thing about celeriac is that they can be kept in the ground until you want to use them in the kitchen. Over winter, they can be covered with a thick layer of straw. This will help to retain heat and stop the ground from freezing.

Use this delicious veg to create a tasty lentil shepherd’s pie that is a perfect warming dish for autumn and winter evenings.

This meal is a hearty addition to your autumn and winter menu. With a twist on a classic shepherd’s pie, this lentil shepherd’s pie may widen your horizons of vegetables to incorporate in meals. What’s more, you can use homegrown produce to make it taste that extra bit better.