Autumn Recipes
If you’ve read the blog post on The Benefits of Seasonal Eating and seen our Seasonal Eating Calendar you’ll be excited about eating locally grown, seasonal foods. Autumn is a wonderful time of year for fruit and vegetables. You’ll find apples, pears, celeriac, carrots, swede, turnips, kale, chard and many varieties of squash in abundance at farmers markets and farm shops. Here are some inspiring recipes to whet your appetite.
Autumn Pie
The topping here uses a mixture of celeriac and potato but use more or less of each according to your own taste. There is no need to peel the potatoes. The skin provides texture and nutrients to the mash.
Gluten free and vegan
Serves 4
Topping
1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
½ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Filling
3 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, finely sliced
250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 parsnips, chopped
A sprig of thyme
2 bay leaves
½ cup of hot water or stock
2 cans of cannellini beans (or use soaked and cooked dried beans)
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp ground almonds
Salt and pepper
- To make the topping steam the potatoes and celeriac until soft – about 15-20 minutes.
- Once they are cooked mash them together with the oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- To make the filling heat the oil in a large pan and fry the leek for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring intermittently.
- Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips, thyme leaves and bay leaves and ½ a cup of hot water or stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the drained beans, tamari and ground almonds and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover with a lid and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Transfer the bean and vegetable mixture to a deep oven dish. Remove the bay leaves.
- Spread the mash on top, score with a fork and grate on the nutmeg.
- Bake in the oven on gas mark 5/190C for 30 minutes until the topping is starting to go crispy.
- Serve with steamed kale.
Autumn Roots Salad
Gluten free, dairy free, vegan
Serves 4
2 carrots, washed, topped and tailed
2 beetroot, washed and trimmed
1 celeriac, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp parsley or coriander, chopped
Salt and pepper
- Grate the carrots, beetroot and celeriac either in a food processor or by hand.
- Combine them all in a large bowl.
- Put the tahini and lemon juice into a jug and stir well. Add some water to aid the mixing process.
- Stir in the olive oil and tamari and as much water as necessary to create a pouring consistency.
- Pour the tahini sauce over the vegetables and mix well.
- Stir in the parsley or coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Pumpkin or Squash Spiced Muffins
Gluten free, dairy free, can be vegan
1 cup of pumpkin or squash purée
3 tbsp xylitol
1 egg or 1 tbsp ground chia seeds soaked in 3 tbsp water
¼ or 60ml of coconut oil, melted (or use another oil)
2 cups or 200g gluten free flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
- Line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Combine the pumpkin purée with the xylitol and egg or chia mixture. Beat well until fluffy (can be done in food processor). Stir in the oil and mix again.
- Combine the flour, spices, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl. Stir well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes on gas mark 4/180C.