Photo by Maria Lindsey Content Creator.
Ah, autumn. That lovely time of year when the world turns crisp and the trees blaze with beautiful colours. There’s so much to love about this season — from the fresh mornings to the cosy nights. But one of our absolute autumnal highlights has to be the food…
It’s around about now that we start turning away from the cold salads and towards the hearty and nourishing recipes that will see us through the coming months.
So, with that said, here’s our pick of some of October’s seasonal food highlights (along with recipe ideas, of course!).
Apples
Apples. What more needs to be said than the word: apples. Whether you prefer red or green, Granny Smith or Pink Ladies. There’s one thing we can all agree on: apples are lovely. Of course, we see them year-round in the supermarkets, but now’s the time when they’re starting to come into season. There’s something so wonderfully autumnal about apples, and they’re so unbelievably versatile! There are endless ways to use them, but in keeping with the season we thought we’d keep our recipe recommendations to the sweet and cosy variety…
Recipe ideas: gluten-free apple pie, spiced roasted apples and blackberries, gluten-free Dutch apple quick bread.
Parsnips
One of the ultimate Christmas vegetables. Though the parsnip’s star appearance on our dinner tables is still a little way into the future, this root veggie definitely shouldn’t be overlooked in the meantime. Perfect roasted, boiled into stews, or smashed into mash!
Recipe ideas: roasted root veg, carrot and parsnip dal, mashed parsnips.
Pumpkin
You may have already seen our recent post featuring 6 deliciously comforting pumpkin recipes. But really, what could symbolise the season of autumn more beautifully than a pumpkin? This wonderful winter squash may be synonymous with Halloween, but you can do much more than simply carve a face into it…
Recipe ideas: pumpkin soup, pumpkin chickpea and coconut curry, brown butter pumpkin salad.
Chestnuts
You know the line: chestnuts roasting on an open fire. These are a little more Christmassy than the other foods featured on this month’s list, but they’re delicious and in season so we thought why not?
Recipe ideas: oven-roasted chestnuts, chestnut hummus, chestnut-hazelnut pasta.
Celeriac
In our books, celeriac is one of the most underrated root vegetables around. But used in a good recipe and cooked well, it can easily become the centrepiece of your dinner! And when in doubt, you can always mash it or toss it into a stew.
Recipe ideas: celeriac hazelnut & truffle soup, whole roasted celeriac, simple as that celeriac.
Fennel
Maybe it’s a bit of an underrated vegetable, but fennel’s unique taste and appearance make it a star ingredient in our book! It’s the centrepiece of so many lovely dishes, and it makes a fantastic choice when you’re in the mood for cooking something a little bit different…
Recipe ideas: fennel risotto, fennel and orange salad, slow roasted fennel.
Eating seasonal
For more information on seasonal eating, you can take a look at these fantastic resources: Eat The Seasons (a wonderfully simple website with week-to-week updates on what’s in season in the uk), and Eat Seasonably (another simple and informative resource, featuring a brilliant seasonal food wheel).