Baked Beetroot With Horseradish Mash
Delicious Magazine
The jewel-like beauty and earthy sweetness of the beetroot is beautifully accompanied here by fiery horseradish and the sheer autumnal comfort of mashed potato. We love the addition of toasted oats for some texture, crunch and depth of flavour. Dishes like these make us excited for the dip in temperature and cosy nights in by the fireside. They suggest serving it up as a side dish for the season’s roasts – we second that but would also rustle it up for a weeknight dinner with greens on its own. Wholesome and wholly delicious. Find the recipe here.
Squid Stew
Olive Magazine
Have you got a glut from tomatoes in your garden that you’re trying to work your way through? Look no further than this delicious recipe, which straddles the seasons with panache. Once blanched, add them into a pot with olive oil, garlic, chilli for an autumnal kick, tomato purée for depth of flavour, fennel seeds for an aniseed twist and parsley stalks for freshness. Then simply add the squid and simmer, with the lid on, for 45 minutes. At the last moment, add the olives and the rest of the parsley before serving up with ciabatta. To us, this is a perfect recipe to keep up our sleeves at this time of year – easy to make and far from labour intensive, it has all the warmth we crave in autumn but also the remnants of a summer Mediterranean vibe, thanks to the seafood and sweet tomatoes. Ideal for dinner parties or mid-week suppers alike. Find the recipe here.
Pumpkin and Brown Rice Congee
Taste.au
Wholesome and healthy comfort food using seasonal veg is the name of the game when it comes to autumn cooking. And at this early point in September, it still feels exciting to roast the first squashes, whether from the garden or from the shop. This congee is a lovely way to use them, thanks to the warming and nourishing addition of fresh ginger and protein-rich free-range eggs. The spring onions lend a summery freshness, while we are long-time advocates of the idea that squash should never be served without at least a scattering of toasted sesame and sunflower seeds. An excellent lunch or supper that proves comfort doesn’t have to be hard on our bodies. Find the recipe here.
Diana Henry’s Butter-Roast Aubergines And Tomatoes With Freekeh And Koch-Kocha
Delicious Magazine
As the seasons turn, we are always on the hunt for easy seasonal dishes that don’t come in packets but equally do not take hours of slaving in the kitchen. Diana Henry is the master of such attainable comfort – as evidenced by this flavoursome dish. We recommend making more than you’ll need of the kocha kocha so that you can knock it up for a second night in a row without having to make it from scratch. Aubergines, sweet tomatoes, gut-loving yogurt, warming chilli and zingy lime – and good, complex carbs in the form of freekeh. There is nothing not to adore about this dish, which looks and tastes like autumn. Find the recipe here.
Roasted Stone Fruit And Brown Sugar Pavlova
Anna Jones
September heralds the return of the comfort-blanket pudding – and few people do them better than the wonderful Anna Jones. We will be making this pavlova all month – whether to share with friends, or simply to devour over a few nights all by ourselves. If you’re vegan, you can tweak the recipe without too much effort. Anna instructs: ‘Vegans can make meringues using aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas). Here is a quick recipe: Whip 150g chickpea water with a pinch of salt until very stiff, add 150g of caster sugar and 1½ tsp cream of tartar, and whip on high until the sugar grains have dissolved. Use coconut yoghurt in place of dairy and agave in place of the honey.’ If, however, you’re not vegan, we love the whipped Greek yogurt with honey. The ideal autumn pud. Find the recipe here.
By Nancy Alsop
Updated September 2023
