What’s in season - October?

October is when our slow cooker comes out. Think stews with chunky veg, stewed apples for crumbles, slow Sunday’s spent prepping soups for the week ahead. Oof, autumn at its finest. What grows together, goes together so you can pretty much bung anything seasonal in together and it’ll be wonderful. Here’s what we’re looking forward to in October:

Kale

One of our favourites, I’d eat it year round if I could. Whether it’s Cavolo Nero, curly kale or kalettes, it’s getting boiled and going on our roast dinner. There’s a great salad recipe where you mix up olive oil, balsamic, wholegrain mustard, honey, garlic and chilli and massage into the leaves for 10 mins - add chicken/feta/lentils/roasted veg to bulk it out - absolute winner for a weekday lunch.

Squash

I’m sure we didn’t need to tell you it’s pumpkin season. We’ve got all sorts of squash recipes over here (LINK) to make sure nothing goes to waste after the trick or treating is finished. Filling smaller squashes with risotto is a particularly easy yet bouji way to impress guests at dinner. Great in a veggie pie, in a salad or an autumnal dahl.

Figs

Sliced on toast with goats cheese and walnuts, in a salad with gorgonzola and squash, in a filo tart with brandy cream for pudding, in a croissant with prosciutto and feta… not forgetting the ultimate use - fig jam! Who knew there were so many uses.

Pears

You can pretty much substitute the fig for pears in any of the above sweet or savoury recipes. We love a good old Waldorf salad or a poached pear for pud! Lots of our pears come from Ebrington Manor Fruit Farm where Alex grew up, they almost roll down the hill to Veg Box themselves - can’t get much lower food miles!

Chard

Swiss chard or Rainbow chard, both get cooked in the same way - sautéed in garlic and chilli, stems first (chopped up finely) and then the leaves. Goes brilliantly with (seasonal) sliced kohlrabi and (unseasonal) lemon as a side dish, in a gratin or a stew.

Leeks

If ever you’re stuck for leek recipes, drop us a message because we go through so many of them! In soups, in cauliflower cheese, risotto, tarts, pies, buttered/creamed on the side of a roast dinner - they’re one of our favourite, most versatile vegetables.

Raspberries/Blackberries

We’re lucky enough to have growers who have some autumn-fruiting raspberries so we can enjoy them for a little longer - on their own or in crumbles, cakes and jam. You’ll also probably have noticed the blackberries are ready for picking so you can forage your own on a pre-Sunday dinner walk or pick some up from our online shop.