Red pepper and sweet potato soup

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers, deseeded and thickly sliced
350g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic
black pepper to taste
900ml vegetable stock
400g can plum tomatoes
juice 1/2 lemon
greek yogurt,shredded basil,basil leaves and chopped black olives to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Place the oil, peppers, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic in a large roasting dish. turn to coat and bake for 30-35 min stirring once until softened.
2. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and put the mixture into a large pan with any pan juices. Add the stock,plum tomatoes and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 min.
3.Pour the soup into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Return to the pan and bring almost to boil.
4. Put the soup into bowls and garnish with yogurt, basil and olives. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Sweet Potato rosti with coriander pesto

For the Rosti:
400g orange sweet potato, peeled
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil

For the Pesto
5 tbsp coriander chopped
1 spring onion trimmed
20g dry roasted peanuts
3 tbsp olive oil
1 green chilli deseeded

Garnish
120ml Cream Fraiche

Method:
1. Place the whole , peeled sweet potato in a small pan of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and boil for 5 min. Drain, cool and coarsely grate the potato on to a plate. In a large bowl,mix all the rosti ingredients except the oil.
2. Heat a large frying pan with a little oil. Shape the rosti into a small patty and fry in the oil for for 1-2 min on each side. check the seasoning at this point.
3. Now fry them in 2 batches , put the rosti on the pan and flatten while cooking make sure there is always a little on the pan. keep the heat medium-low so the rostis do not burn. allow to cool before topping.
4. For the pesto place all the ingredients in a food processor and make a fine paste.
5. Before serving place 1 small teaspoon of creme fraiche and some pesto on the top of each rosti.