FoodMaking food go further Food is a popular way many of us socialise and we spend a good amount of time and money on it. Yet 15 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year. That's the same weight as 2 million double decker buses. Half of this is from our homes alone, costing £470 per household per year. You can help stop edible food from ending up in the bin. Tuck into the feast of events, blogs and recipes here and see how easy it is to make the most of your food, and save some money. 3 things you can do today Plan ahead. Take a moment to think about the week ahead - when will you be eating at home? Try and plan a couple of meals ahead, make a list of what you need to buy and only buy what you need. Freeze it. If you cook too much or forget to eat something near its use by date, chances are you can freeze it and eat it later. Eat your leftovers. If you cook too much or can't finish a meal, pack it for lunch. Even if you're eating out, ask for a doggy bag. Go a bit further - run your own campaign. HomeDo somethingTop tipsRecipesBlogIdeas bankCollaborate Food Tom's pumpkin pie with cardamom and maple syrup This pie is a game of two halves. Part one: Sweet Baked Pumpkin Use this sweet pumpkin recipe in my delicious gluten free pie or as a filling for pastries (using my olive oil pastry on page 00) or even make a pumpkin fool just replace the rhubarb for sweet baked pumpkin in my recipe on page 00. Ingredients (Serves 8) 600g pumpkin Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of ginger 6 cardamom pods 50 ml maple syrup or honey 50g Sugar Method Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the pumpkin into wedges about 1-2 inches thick. Keep the seeds to roast later. Place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with the sugar and spices and drizzle the maple syrup over the top. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the pumpkin is very soft. Remove the foil and allow to cool a little. Scrape all of the pumpkin flesh of the skin back into the tray with the sweet spicy juices. Mash together with the juices using a fork. Spread on toast for breakfast or make my pumpkin pie or pancakes below. And now to the pie... Ingredients (Serves 8) For the filling 1 quantity of sweet baked pumpkin (above) 3 Eggs, beaten 200ml Dbl cream For the crust 100g walnuts or pecans 100g cob nuts 100g English rolled oats 300g dates 2 tbsp water Method Preheat oven to 160c First make the pie crust. Blend the nuts, oats and dates until they are fine and sticky. Add the water and pulse a few times until mixed. Remove from the blender and mix by hand. Line a nine-ten inch tart case with parchment. Press the crust into the bottom firmly with your fingers. In a bowl mix the sweet baked pumpkin with the eggs and cream. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the tart case. Bake at 160c for 35 minutes or until it sets. Serve the tart with ice cream or whipped cream and a sprinkle of roasted seeds. Storage: The pie will keep well for 4 days covered in the fridge. More recipes and variations Maple pumpkin seeds. Clean the seeds by washing them in water. Dry with a tea towel. Spread out on on a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven at 150C for 30 minutes until dry, drizzle with maple syrup return to the oven and allow to dry and caramelize once more. This recipe was kindly donated to the #PumpkinRescue campaign by Tom Hunt, it can be found along with many other seasonal recipes in The Natural Cook: Eating the Seasons from Root to Fruit.Photo: The Natural Cook by Tom Hunt (Quadrille £20) Photography: Laura Edwards