Autumn Cooking
Posted: 23 September '09 by Kelly
Its official, summer is over….. I can hear you ask did it ever even begin?!! BUT lets not dwell on that. This week is officially the start of Autumn. The nights are getting shorter and I am already ordering the coal and wood for the fire. Whenever I think of Autumn food I think of more substantial main courses, richer flavours, and big bubbling pots of stew or soup. Here are some recipes that are perfect for this time of year – give them a go and enjoy.
Cream of Cauliflower Soup
I love nothing more than coming in from the cold to a big pot of soup in the Autumn. One of my favourites is Cream of Cauliflower Soup, its really comforting and delicious. Niall garnishes the soup with a few slices of Clonakilty black pudding (which is the best black pudding I have EVER tasted) which adds so much flavour and texture to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (about 1.3kg/3lb), stalks discarded and florets chopped
- 1 large potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 25g butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.2l light chicken or vegetable stock
- 600ml full-fat milk
- 142ml carton double cream
Method
- Put the cauliflower, potato and onion in a large saucepan with the butter and half of the oil. Gently heat the contents until they start to sizzle, then cover with a lid and sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should be softened but not coloured.
- Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then pour in the milk and return gently to a boil. This way, there will be no scum forming from the milk. Season to taste then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Pour in half the cream.
- Blend everything in a food processor or blender, in batches. For an extra creamy texture, push the purée through a sieve with the back of a ladle. Stir in the rest of the cream. (If preparing ahead cool, cover and chill for up to a day.)
- To serve, slice the black pudding and fry gently until cooked and enjoy.
Penne with Gorgonzola
This main course of Penne pasta with gorgonzola, walnuts and sage is a Nigel Slater recipe I read in the Guardian. Its not only quick and easy to make, just want you want after a long hard day at the office, but its really tasty and soothing also.
Ingredients
- serves 2
- 300g penne or other small tubular pasta
- creamy gorgonzola – about 300g
- walnuts – a dozen or more, freshly shelled
- a few sage leaves, about six will do
Method
- Put the pasta on to cook in a deep pan of generously salted boiling water. Test it throughout the cooking, but it should be ready after about 9 minutes.
- Drain the penne in a colander, reserving a couple of tablespoonfuls of the cooking water. Put the empty pan immediately back on the stove and turn down the heat to low.
- Add the cheese and the reserved cooking water, then stir for a minute or less till the cheese starts to melt and you have an impromptu sauce.
- Tip the pasta back into the pan with the walnuts and sage leaves, then tip onto warm plates.
Oat Plum Crumble
This is another Nigel Slater recipe for Oat plum crumble and it is really tasty. Plums or Damsons are perfect for this kind of dessert and they are available during autumn which is great. If you are not a fan of Plums or Damsons then simply replace them with pears or apples.
Ingredients
- Plums or Damsons - 750g
- Golden caster sugar – 4 tablespoons
- A large knob of butter
For the crust - - flour – 150g
- butter – 100g
- ground almonds – 50g
- golden caster sugar -70g
- rolled oats – 50g
- Set the oven at 190˚/Gas 5.
Method
- Stone the fruit, though you will probably want to avoid stoning damsons. Put them into a deep pan with the butter and sugar and leave them to soften slightly. This will ensure they are meltingly soft and squishy.
- Meanwhile make the oat crust by rubbing the butter into the flour till it resembles fresh breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground almonds, the demerara sugar and the oats.
- Pile the fruit into a baking dish, the tip the oat and almond topping onto the fruit and bake for 30-35 minutes till the crust is crisp and golden, the fruit soft and tender.
- Serve hot, with cream.
Tags: Autumn, Plums, recipe, seasonal, Soup
Categories: Recipes
