Autumn colour & crunch

Autumn Colours & Crunch

Chilly ankles are always my personal indicator that Autumn has arrived – and I usually have to be reminded a few times before I finally concede and put some socks o!

With Autumn comes all the wonderful colours of outdoors – so many vibrantly bright natural shades that seem to glow with energy …. My view as I walk along the local footpaths are changing almost everyday and as the leaves and foliage wither and drop but I know that before I know it, winter will be in the wings, bringing her chill and sparkling icy frosts that linger longer and longer.

With Autumn, also comes vibrancy and texture through all the wonderful seasonal produce – a true Harvest festival celebration of everything from the ground. My local farm shop and village stores are both stocked with amazing veg – glorious beets, cabbages, carrots, greens ……. All of which inspire me to keep creating colourful and delicious food!

I truly believe that veggie food isn’t just as a side dish but can be more delicious and certainly more interesting in terms of flavours and spices. With this in mind, I created a very simple spicy ‘slaw’ which I did serve alongside pulled pork at a family supper at the weekend – but more excitingly will be having tonight, topped with roasted spicy seeds & nuts – and perhaps with a little bit of grilled halloumi on the side.

The crunch of the raw veg which is cloaked in a sweet & spicy dressing is a joy – and is best eaten immediately. It can linger in the fridge for a day but isn’t ever quite as good. The way to avoid this is to make double the dressing and keep that in a jam jar, store your veg in a cool area and when you need more slaw, just simply chop/grate/slice and mix with the dressing.

My Autumn Spicy Slaw feeds approx 6 people and uses a mixture of red/white cabbage (half of each, a couple of golden beetroot, 4 grated carrots, 1 head of green romanesco. You could also add a grated apple and a couple of chopped spring onions if wished.

Mix together 4tbsp of natural yogurt (full or low fat), 3 tbsp mayo (full or low fat), 2 tsp Dijon/English mustard, 2 tsp runny honey, splash of soy sauce, chilli flakes to taste, salt & pepper & chopped parsley.

Toast some seeds along with chopped nuts – just what you have available.

Shred/grate/chop veg and toss in a bowl. In a separate bowl/jug, mix together the dressing. Carefully spoon half of the dressing over the prepared veg – don’t tip it all in as you may ‘drown’ the veg and there is no going back! Using 2 forks, toss the veg through the dressing to make sure everything is covered, adding more if needed. Tip into serving bowl and top with toasted seeds, nuts and chopped parsley.

For more ideas and recipes – come and join me at my regular cooking demos. Informal groups of up to 8 people, around my kitchen table, tasting and chatting. A 2 course lunch/supper is included along with welcome coffee & homemade cakes, recipes to take home and lots of inspiration!

"So pretty"