When we think of pesto we often think of Pesto Genovese with basil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic. But you can make pesto from many leafy greens, different nuts and seeds and a variety of hard cheeses. To help you find a home for seeds from your carved pumpkins, this is our delicious pumpkin seed pesto. It's not just thrifty, it's tasty and is an amazing food waste buster.

This Thai pumpkin soup is an easy autumn warmer. It's a great way to use up the flesh from carved pumpkins around Halloween. You can go as spicy as you like by changing the amount of Thai red curry paste you use. Use the toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish and make it extra special. You can also chuck in leftover veg (or meat) that needs using up.

There's no need to pithi(vier) the veg with this Leek and Smoked Cheese Pithivier recipe. Pithivier is a traditional circular puff pastry pie with a curved pattern cut into the pastry. If you want to, add leftover chopped up turkey or ham to the leek mixture. The pie can be made in advance up to the final baking stage and kept in the fridge. It would make a good vegetarian Christmas main course.

"My fridge is piled high with brussel sprouts ready for christmas dinner. I don’t know about you but I get bored of eating them boiled. If you have any sprouts leftover after christmas dinner then they are delicious raw. This recipe is a welcome break from the usual christmas fare and is a delicious light and healthy meal." Eco-chef Tom Hunt.