Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Pick the thyme leaves off their sprigs (you can push the sprigs through a sieve and the leaves will collect in it. If the stems are white and tender, you can leave the leaves on them and chop the stems and leaves together). Finely chop the coriander stalks, setting the leaves aside for later.

Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a large pan and warm to a medium heat. Slide in the onions, garlic, coriander stalks, thyme and 1 tbsp ras al hanut. Add a little salt and pepper and fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till glossy.

While the veg fry, halve the squash and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Chop the flesh into 1cm-thick chunks (no need to peel the squash, unless you want to). Roughly chop the tomatoes. Fill and boil your kettle.

Tip the squash and tomatoes into the pan. Add the red lentils and pearl barley. Crumble in the stock cube and stir in 1 ltr boiling water.

Pop on a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25 mins, till the squash is tender.

While the stew simmers, pull the leaves and silks off the sweetcorn cobs. Slice a sliver off the end of each corn cob, then stand the cobs upright on your chopping board. Run a knife down the sides to slice off the kernels. Stir the sweetcorn kernels into the stew and simmer for 5 mins.

Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Taste the stew and add a pinch more salt, if you think it needs it. Ladle the stew into bowls and top with a crack of black pepper and the coriander leaves. Serve with wedges of the remaining lemon for squeezing.