The best autumnal ingredients and what to cook with them
Yes, summer is over; but for us British foodies, the best of the year is yet to come. Here are some of our favourite ingredients coming into season, and how to use them in your cooking.
Apricots
The biggest ever commercial crop of British apricots will hit the supermarket shelves this month, thanks to soaring summer temperatures. So there’s no better time to incorporate the subtly sweet fruits into your cooking – for savoury, try an Indian-style lamb tagine with apricots and salted almonds, or char-grilled pork with Wensleydale and apricots. There are plenty of ideas for pudding, too – how about The Hairy Bikers’ apricot and almond crumble? Or Eric Lanlard’s apricot, honey and pistachio tart [pictured]? A slice of apricot, date and Guinness slice will put hairs on your chest, and some homemade apricot and lavender jam would be lovely spread thickly over toast.
Seafood
Our ‘love them or hate them’ poll found that an overwhelming majority of lovefood readers go mad for oysters, and September sees the return of 'an r in the month'.
If you’re feeling confident, try Martin Berasategui’s classically luxurious ‘crunchy’ oyster recipe, which involves rehydrating seaweed, deep-frying oysters and fiddling about with salmon roe. Perhaps British mussels, also delightful this month, would be an easier option – Ainsley Harriot bakes his on top of a rosemary risotto and adds hot pepper sauce for heat [pictured]; Mitch Tonks serves his with grey mullet and oodles of oregano; and Gary Rhodes spices his mussels up with curried crème fraiche.
Cabbage
Sadly, cabbage is often relegated to the ‘side dish’ department, when really it should be singing on centre stage. Simon Rimmer agrees – cabbage is crucial to his sticky stir-fry recipe, which marries crispy mushrooms with pan-fried shredded cabbage, shallots, ginger and whole wheat noodles.
Or if you’re determined to serve your cabbage as an accompaniment, at least jazz it up a bit – Henry Dimbleby takes inspiration from Burma for his spicy cabbage [pictured], using a bevy of exciting ingredients such as ginger, roasted peanuts, lemon and turmeric to flavour the vegetable.
Figs
British-grown figs might not match their continental cousins in terms of sweet stickiness, but they still taste wonderful when cooked. For a fantastically fresh starter, try Donna Hay’s halloumi, fig and pomegranate salad garnished with mint leaves; or if you’ve a sweet tooth, Italian fig and chocolate ice cream, fig and date tart with cumin-chocolate syrup, pistachio and fig biscotti, and fig flapjacks with crème fraiche will all hit the spot.
Butternut squash
Butternut squash is only around in September and October, so make sure you don’t miss it. We’ve got a cracking butternut squash risotto recipe from Shaun Rankin, made with the obvious plus Jersey Royal potatoes, chorizo, garlic, fresh thyme and goats’ cheese. Or you might want to try our butternut squash ‘kutta’ [pictured], a kind of Indo-Iraqi soupy stew – the sweetness of the butternut squash and sultanas combines beautifully with the piquancy of the lemon and celery in it.
Beetroot
Beetroot is so worth the stained pink hands. We’ve got an impressive selection of beetroot recipes on our site, including a vibrant (and fat-free) creamy beetroot and thyme dip to have with your crudités [pictured]; savoury pink beetroot pancakes with eggs, bacon and maple syrup; fried brie accompanied by a homemade beetroot relish (you’ll need lots of cranberry sauce and fresh thyme); a very English beetroot risotto with Lancashire cheese; a beautiful beetroot tarte tatin, complete with goats’ cheese and honey; and even some ingenious spiced beetroot and apple muffins, which are secretly very healthy.
Pear
Nothing says September like a perfectly ripe British pear. It’s a versatile ingredient – our savoury recipes include a fennel, rocket and pear salad and an apple and pear salad, while our pudding options range from a clever Italian-style roast pears and olive oil cake to an extremely sophisticated pear mousse; a hearty pear pudding; honey-roast pears with orange blossom; a fancy Normandy pear tart [pictured]; and an upside-down pear tart.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins don’t stick around for long, so make sure you start cooking with them this month. We love Bill Granger’s sweet and creamy pumpkin cannelloni, flavoured with ricotta, thyme and chilli. Roast pumpkin soup with blue cheese is a real treat [pictured], and other delights on our site include pumpkin risotto with gorgonzola; baby pumpkin masala; a tangy pumpkin marmalade; a spicy pumpkin side dish; and, of course, two different pumpkin pie recipes – the original, and a spiced version.
Which autumnal ingredients are you excited about cooking with? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.
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