Autumn Recipe Depository

Photograph by John Bergman

Since the falling of the leaves and the lowering of the temperatures (and the fog, if today is anything to go by), I've rediscovered my love of preparing food goods and hovering over a hot stove. Autumn is such a tangible, edible season. It's all pumpkins and cinnamon and apples and mushrooms, and reds, oranges and yellows. It's also my birthday season, our Easter season, and the season of beautiful, gleaming, golden evening light. Perfect light for quiet, meditative moments of simple, seasonal cooking.

Anyhoo, in the interest of autumnal celebration, and as per the request of my most loyal (and only?) reader, Nicola, I present to you a list of some of my favorite, most regularly prepared recipes from the interweb for these shortening, nostalgic days. I have made each one of these recipes this autumn, and for many an autumn in the past even committing some of them to memory, and thusly, am expertly placed to guarantee magnificence.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini - Orangette

Tomato Soup with Red Onion and Coriander Stems - Orangette

Chana Masala - Orangette

Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg On Toast - Orangette (Molly really gets Autumn. Obviously)

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas - Fresh 365
Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup - 101 Cookbooks

Roast Pumkin Sage Brown Butter Fettuccine and Tomato, Puy Lentil and Spinach Penne- Number One Millionaire (AKA me!)

Tom's Sweet Potato Planks with Basil Aoli - Number One Millionaire

Chocolate Gingerbread - Number One Millionaire (me and Nigella)

And, as an added bonus, recipes I haven't made yet but feel, instinctively, will become firm favourites this year:

Romesco Potatoes - Smitten Kitchen

Mushroom Bourguignon - Smitten Kitchen

Rustic Fig and Goats Cheese Pizza - Sprouted Kitchen

Roasted Parmesan Parsnips - Sprouted Kitchen

Moroccan Carrot Soup with Mussels - The Wednesday Chef


You're welcome. xx

Mid-March Resolutions

Home grown nasturtiums on the (very dirty) window sill

So, monthly resolutions are going to be my new thing. Obviously they will ordinarily occur at the beginning of the month, not over a week in. Ordinarily, I will be a super organised, ultra-diligent, enchanting blog-writer. Monthly resolutions, friends, are going to help me get there.

Institute a new Monday night curry night tradition. Make an exciting new curry each week so that Mondays quickly become a weekly highlight (so far, this has gone swimmingly)

Make an attempt to start baking bread regularly. Good, wholemeal, fibrous bread.

Buy and read My Life in France by Julia Child.

Go camping in Jervis Bay (we went last weekend!)

Plant bulbs in preparation for Spring: anemones, snow bells and some of the weirder varieties that look like exotic insects.

And Winter veggies in preparation for Winter: sugar snap peas, kale, spinach, rainbow chard, sprouting broccoli.

Scavenge for second-hand jars and start sorting out my mess of a pantry prior to the entry of our two new housemates at the end of March (task begun).

Watch Harold and Maude.

Cook some delicious autumnal things and post some delicious autumnal recipes.

Climb a mountain at least twice.

Drink pear cider in a cozy bar.

Get a haircut.

Refrain from becoming a monthly blogger. At the very least, aim to be bi-monthly.