Nigel Slater’s recipes for aubergines with tomato and yoghurt, and rhubarb, honey and sweet crumbs

Spiced aubergine and sweet rhubarb are two superb warming delicacies of the winter season

I have made many a dinner from a good rummage in the fridge. This time, a couple of less-than-perfect aubergines and a paper bag of tomatoes were turned into a thoroughly satisfying stew, the aubergines fried separately, then added to a turmeric and cumin-scented sauce. The spicing was mild, just warming enough for a nippy winter’s evening, and a last-minute stirring-in of yoghurt and spoonful of crème fraîche brought a silky, almost luxurious note to my fridge-find. A shot of lime at the end made our supper sing.

When I think about it, there is almost always an aubergine or two in the fridge. Like butternut squash, I buy them without having a plan. They are as much a part of a culinary squirrel-store as having a jar of beans and a packet of pasta in the cupboard. Their relatively long life means I can keep them for emergency suppers, those dinners I make when I have had neither the time nor the inclination to shop.