The lazy days of summer are behind us and though September had us wilting in London, the equinox cannot be disputed – autumn is here. I’m getting excited at the thought of tights weather and cosying up with endless cups of tea in front of the fire. It’s at about this time too that our appetites shift from light and carefree crunchy summer salads to foods of the hearth – steaming bowls of soup, comforting roast chicken and rich, earthy stews.
A walk through your farmer’s market at this time, will have you marvel over the dusky mauves of figs and tumbling mountains of squash in every discernible shape and colour. If you’re like me, switching seasons in the kitchen takes a bit of getting used to. Summer foods can be easier to prepare and cooking often entails just a flick on the barbecue. But autumn brings its own magic, so let’s reacquaint ourselves with a selection of delicious foods from your local market to cook at home and relish in those deep, earthy flavours.
Duck is an almost perfect marriage of seasons: dark and intense enough to warrant eating in the darker evenings, yet lightens up at the hint of a zesty orange or succulent plum. One of the most memorable duck dishes I had was the result of a barbecue while camping in France. The Dordogne region is famed for its plump and juicy prunes, as well as its plump and juicy ducks; put them together and you have on your hands quite a biblical combination of flavours.
Do as the French do:
At the market in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, I spotted a butcher prepare duck breasts stuffed with silken plums along with a slab of fois gras. This exquisite combination is decadent and delicious. Recreate at home with some plump duck breasts stuffed with prunes and fois gras (prunes on their own are equally delicious if fois gras is off the menu), and simply pan fry or grill to your liking. French country cooking at its best!
Have you ever seen a Quince fruit? This sweet star of the cheese board looks like a cross between an apple and a pear, but has a gorgeous golden-yellow hue. Its high level of pectin makes it particularly suited for jams and jellies but if you poach it, it can be an exciting partner to pork.
Membrillo your Manchego:
Throw a Spanish tapas party and go native by making your own quince jelly or membrillo to accompany some manchego cheese. Sherry: optional but encouraged.
Trust me, this much detested vegetable can be truly tasty and even addictive when done right! Push memories of overdone sprouts amounting to bland mush aside and believe. A friend revolutionised sprouts for me last winter when they served them shredded and crispy wok fried with a dash of soy sauce. Wow. For the rest of the season I found myself adding them to almost every dish; a humble stir-fry suddenly became a momentous feast with the addition of some roughly chopped sprouts brought to the crispy brink and over with that magic dash of soy sauce.
If Ottolenghi likes them, they must be cool … :
The chef du jour’s brussels sprout risotto is a euphoric meeting of crispy and smooth. Be convinced.
One of the most common members of the shellfish family, mussels were once thought of as the poor relation, but not any more. They really are at their best right now until March and buying fresh mussels is always the best option. Simply choose shells that are unbroken and closed, scrub them well in cold water, remove the fibrous beard and discard any that do not close when firmly tapped. To cook at their most basic simply put in a pan of liquid (white wine, sherry, cream, the list is endless) with whatever other herbs and ingredients take your fancy and cook until the mussels have opened (around 5-8 minutes). At this point you will need to discard any that remain closed. Serve the mussels in the delicious juices with chips or hunks of bread to dip!
How to cook the perfect moules marinières:
Let food writer and tester extraordinaire, Felicity Cloake, show you the way with her tried and tested version of the classic French dish.
It would be remiss to run through a collection of Autumn ingredients and fail to include the joyful orange mascot of the very season. This little guy, whether tiny or huge can be so much more than just a pretty face (ha!). One of my favourite ways with this festive squash is on the sweet spectrum in an all-American pumpkin pie. A forkful of this sweet will have any lingering dreams of summer ring the changes!
Real American Pie:
Trust the expertise of Food52 to set you on the right track towards pie perfection. Stay virtuous and use fresh pumpkin or go ahead and unashamedly use that can lurking in the cupboard since last Halloween. In any case, the results will be sure to please.
Sarah is among many Irish people living in London, where she delights in exploring its exciting food scene. She is passionate about food markets, spending her weekends trawling around Borough market grazing, chatting and stocking up on all things edible.
She dedicates a blog to her adventures in the markets, and through that and TheTaste she share tales from the food front line with fellow eager eaters.
Find her on Twitter, Instagram or visit her blog Mint & Broom: To Market, To Market!
