As the landscape changes from trees of fiery reds, bronze and gold to dark silhouettes against an ice blue sky – we leave the last days of autumn behind, winter arrives and nature rests.

 

Mushroom & chestnut rolls

Chestnut soup

Butternut squash, candied walnut & cranberry bruschetta

Seeded breakfast bread

Potted mushrooms

Spiced butternut squash, carrots & prunes

Brussel sprouts with cumin, ginger & tamari

Winter slaw

Tuscan Castagnaccio

Gin & tonic sorbet

Mulled apple juice

Cranberry cocktail

 

                       

Mushroom & chestnut rolls

110g chestnuts chopped                                          

1 medium red onion finely diced                             

200g chestnut mushrooms chopped                                   

425g puff pastry                                                     

50g wholemeal breadcrumbs

1 beaten egg

2 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

6 tablespoons. olive oil

oven, 200°C gas6

 

Using half the oil gently cook the onion until tender, add the breadcrumbs and chopped chestnuts.  Cook the mushrooms in the remaining oil until golden, stir in the herbs and add the breadcrumb mixture.

Roll out the pastry and cut into three long strips 7½ cm wide.  Spoon the mixture down the centre of each strip.  Brush the edges with the egg and roll up making sure you seal the edges well.  Slash the top criss-cross fashion and cut each roll into 8, and place the rolls on a lightly oiled baking tray. Bake in a hot oven for 10/12 minutes.

 

Chestnut soup

serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

6 parsnips peeled and chopped

500 ml vegetable stock

500 ml dairy or oat milk

dessertspoon chopped thyme leaves

250g chopped chestnuts.

salt & black pepper

 

Gently cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil, when soft tip in the parsnips and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Add the stock, milk, thyme and chestnuts, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blitz in a blender adding a little water if too thick, return to pan, warm through, season as necessary and divide between 4 bowls.

 

Butternut squash, candied walnut & cranberry bruschetta

serves 6

100g fresh cranberries

100ml apple juice

100 g walnuts (broken is fine)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

 

1 medium/large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbs tamari

salt & black pepper

1 red onion peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic very finely diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 leaves sage finely shredded

 

6 slices of ciabatta or sourdough sliced

oven 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.

 

To make the cranberries - cook gently in the apple juice until the berries have all popped - set aside

To make the candied walnuts, toss the walnuts in the maple syrup.  Scatter over a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 6-8 mins until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. - set aside

 

Toss the butternut squash in the olive oil and tamari and season with salt and black pepper Spread the butternut squash mixture on a baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and starting to brown.

 

Cook onion in 1 tblsp olive oil until soft add the garlic and sage and cook for a further 2 minutes

Lightly toast the bread in the oven

Tip the squash into onion mixture mix well and pile onto the toasted ciabatta and top with walnuts and cranberries

 

Seeded breakfast bread

150g rolled oats

75g pumpkin seeds

75g sunflower seeds

75g hazelnuts

20g ground linseed

50g chia

50 g dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons olive oil

300ml water

oven 190°C gas 5

 

1 oiled loaf tin lined with parchment paper

 

 

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well.

Whisk maple syrup, olive oil, and water together

Tip the wet ingredients onto the dry and mix well adding a little more water if the dough is too stiff.

Transfer to the prepared tin and leave covered overnight

 

Bake in a preheated  375°F  190°C for 25 minutes. Tip out the loaf, place on the oven shelf and bake for a further 25 minutes.

Leave to cool before slicing

 

Potted mushrooms
150g ghee (or clarified butter)
3 shallots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1kg mixed mushrooms (shiitake, brown and oyster is a good mixture) chopped
splash of tamari
1 dessertspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
sea salt & freshly ground  black pepper

750 ml jar - sterilised

Gently cook the shallots, garlic and mushrooms in 75g of the ghee until soft. Turn up the heat for the last 2 minutes to lightly brown and reduce any mushroom liquid.

Very gently melt the remaining ghee and set aside.

Add the tamari & thyme to the mushrooms and season well.

Pack the mushrooms into the jar pressing down well to expel any air pockets and making sure the top is as flat as possible. Pour over the ghee and allow to set.  There should be enough ghee to create a seal. Fix the jar lid and store in a cool dry place for up to a month. Once you start eating the mushrooms store in the fridge and eat within 5 days

 

Spiced butternut squash, carrots and prunes

serves 4 - 6

3 tablespoons olive oil                                                          

6 red onions cut into wedges                                                             

1k  butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces       

4 carrots, cut into bite size pieces                                         

110g ready to eat pitted prunes                               

18 peeled shallots                                                                   

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon          

1 teaspoon ground ginger

 1 teaspoon clear honey                                                         

1 litre vegetable stock

bunch of parsley

bunch of mint

sea salt & black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. 

Cook the red onion in  2 tablespoons olive oil until soft add butternut squash and carrots and cook further 5 minutes.  Stir in prunes, cinnamon, ginger, honey & then the stock.  Season well, transfer to oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Toss the  shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast until golden. 

Remove butternut squash from the oven, stir in shallots, parsley and mint and serve.

 

Brussel sprouts with cumin, ginger & tamari

serves 4

500g sprouts any tough outer leaves removed and cut in half

1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons veg stock

thumb size knob of ginger grated

tablespoon tamari

black pepper

 

Dry roast the cumin seeds in a flat pan until they release their aroma. Toss in the sprouts, add the olive oil and stock and sauté/steam for 5 minutes shaking the pan from time to time. Toss in the ginger and tamari and serve.

 

Winter slaw

serves 4 - 6

½ red cabbage – very finely shredded

250g Brussels sprouts – very finely sliced

4 celery sticks cut into fine slices

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

black pepper & salt

seeds from 1 pomegranate

handful of almonds sliced and toasted

 

Place the red cabbage, Brussels & celery in a bowl.

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt & pepper and massage  through the vegetables. Leave to stand for at least 1hr preferably 3. Tip into a serving dish.

Top with pomegranate and almonds

 

Tuscan Castagnaccio

250g chestnut flour

320 mills filtered water

pinch of salt

extra virgin olive oil

40g sultanas

50 ml sweet white wine- warmed

50g chopped walnuts

1 dessertspoon rosemary needles

handful pine kernels

preheat oven 180°C/gas mark 4

shallow baking dish (approx. 12" x 8") brushed with olive oil

 

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl then slowly pour in the cold water stirring until the mixture resembles a pourable batter. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Set aside for 30 minutes.

Soak the sultanas in warm wine for 20 minutes to plump up.

Add the chopped walnuts and the plumped sultanas to the flour-batter mixture

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the pine nuts and rosemary. Trickle a tablespoon of olive oil over the batter
Bake in the upper part of the oven for 40 minutes. During cooking the top of the cake will crack but this is quite normal. Remove and cool, eat warm possibly with a spoonful of mascarpone

 

Gin & tonic sorbet

250ml agave syrup

250ml tonic water

75ml gin

juice of 1 lemon  

 

Combine all the ingredients together and place the mixture in a container suitable for freezing. Freeze until slushy.  Remove the slushy ice mix from the freezer and whisk until the icy lumps are broken up and the texture is smooth.  Place back into the freezer and repeat this chilling and whisking process until the sorbet reaches the consistency required.  Freeze until ready to use. Alternatively if you have an ice cream maker, churn and freeze

 

Mulled apple juice

2 slices root ginger

1” stick of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cloves

sprig of rosemary

A twist of finely pared lemon

A twist of finely pared orange

75cl bottle apple juice

 

Put the spices, rosemary and peel into a pan with ½ the apple juice , bring to boil and simmer very gently for 3 minutes. Leave over night or for a minimum of 1 hour. Strain, add the remaining apple juice, warm through and serve.

 

Cranberry cocktail

1 measure of gin

150 ml cranberry juice

juice of ½ lime

tonic water

cranberries

mint or rosemary

 

Fill a tumbler glass with ice-cubes, pour over the gin & lime juice.  Add the cranberry juice, top up with tonic water. Tip in some cranberries and finish with a flourish of mint or rosemary

Easy to omit the gin for an alcohol free alternative

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