With the clocks changing very soon, thoughts, wardrobes and kitchen stoves are turning towards more seasonal notes; adding a sweater here, one more blanket there, and at the same time our shelf of cookbooks beckons us to return to baking, braising, or simmering – all perfect ways to match our cravings as the nights draw in. Try the minestrone soup here, or the savoury tart (please feel free to adapt and adjust the ingredients as you wish), or the moreish baked pumpkin. All could easily be served as either a first or a main course, and would work equally well as a simple lunch dish or part of a more elaborate dinner. Which ever way you use these ideas, and which ever way you serve them, they are dishes that will bring comfort and sustenance to those around your table. Autumn minestrone soup with garlic and parsley bread (pictured above) Light the fire, get the winter duvet out of the cupboard, then create this amalgam of autumnal deliciousness. It may seem like an overload of carbs, but believe me you will love it – it’s all beautifully balanced, even with the garlic bread on the side! Serves 4-5 olive oil 60ml, plus a drizzle for the pasta garlic 2 cloves, crushed to a cream with salt mixed herbs 2 tsp of your choice, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, savory, marjoram, finely chopped bay leaves 4, plus a few for the beans onion 1 large, peeled and sliced finely celery 3 sticks, sliced finely on the angle carrots 2 medium, peeled, cut in ½ lengthwise and sliced finely on the angle fennel ½ head, diced sea salt and freshly ground pepper celeriac 1 small, washed, peeled and cut into medium cubes potato 1 large, washed, peeled and cut into medium cubes tomatoes 4 large, peeled and seeded, chopped roughly (or 1 small tin of tomatoes) vegetable, chicken, lamb or beef stock 1 litre borlotti or coco blanc beans 300g, podded (about 100g beans) or 1 small tin of beans of your choice pasta of your choice 100g celery leaves and parsley leaves 2 tbsp, roughly chopped chives or green spring onion 1 tbsp, finely chopped For the garlic bread butter 50g garlic 1 clove, crushed to a cream with salt parsley leaves a few, finely chopped sea salt and freshly ground pepper short baguette ½ In a large heavy based pan gently heat the olive oil, garlic, herbs and bay leaves until they start to sizzle and smell delicious. Do not allow the herbs to colour, just to soften. Add the onion, celery, carrot and fennel, and stir well together, making sure the vegetables are well coated in the herbs and oil. Raise the heat a little, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the vegetables start to colour and soften at the edges about 10-15 minutes. Add the celeriac, potato, tomato and stock, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft and the broth flavourful. Meanwhile, place the beans in a small pan, cover well with water, add a few bay leaves and simmer for 15-20 minutes (without salt as this will toughen the skins) or until the beans are well cooked and squash easily between your fingers. Remove from the heat, then stir in a little salt and allow the beans to cool in the liquid. Strain before using, but keep the broth in case the soup needs more liquid. Alternatively drain and rinse the tinned beans. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta of your choice (following the instructions on the pack) until al dente. Strain the pasta through a sieve, then place in a bowl with a generous drizzle of olive oil, chopped celery and parsley leaves, chives, salt and pepper. Leave on one side until ready to serve. To serve, bring the vegetables and broth to a gentle simmer, adjusting the liquidity with extra bean juice if required. Add the pasta and the strained beans and continue to cook for a minute or two. Taste for seasoning, then pour into a large warm serving bowl. Ladle into individual warm bowls at the table with the garlic and herb bread straight from the oven. To make the garlic bread, heat the butter in a small pan until melted, add the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, stirring well. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise, then again in half lengthwise, making 4 equal-sized sticks. Place the 4 sticks of baguette on a large piece of tin foil (or baking parchment), cut sides up. Pour the garlic butter over the bread evenly, then pack the loaf back together as it was originally. Fold the foil over tightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the oven, open the package, spread out the sticks cut sides up, and place back in the oven to toast for a further 5-7 minutes, or until crisp. Pumpkin baked with cream, garlic, gruyere and ciabatta croutes, with a salad of bitter leaves, pecans and orange This gorgeous pumpkin is a centrepiece for your table and a filling, satisfying meal for your guests, all in one bowl. I first saw this idea when I was living in California, in The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown. Many cooks have recreated their recipe in different guises – this is just one of them. Serves 4-6 pumpkin or squash of your choice ½ (cut horizontally), about 1.5kg (preferably round, such as blue hubbard, onion squash or delica) olive oil mixed herbs 2 tsp, finely chopped (such as rosemary, thyme, sage), plus a little for the croutes sea salt and freshly ground pepper double cream 250ml grated cheese 150g, such as gruyere or parmesan (or vegetarian cheese if you prefer) ciabatta or baguette 12-16 thin slices olive oil For the salad (makes enough for 4) pecans 2 tbsp orange 1 large mixed salad leaves 6 generous handfuls olive oil sea salt and freshly ground pepper Choose an oven-to-table bowl or dish that will hold the halved pumpkin snugly. Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin half and place it in the dish. Drizzle it generously with olive oil and sprinkle (also generously) with chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Cover the dish with tin foil or parchment paper and tuck it in around the sides. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4 and place the dish in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh of the pumpkin starts to soften. Remove the foil or paper. Pour the cream into the centre of the pumpkin and scatter over half the grated cheese. Place the dish back into the oven and continue to cook until the cream is piping hot and the cheese has started to melt, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the ciabatta or baguette slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs. Bake on the top shelf of the oven until crisp, turning once for even cooking. To serve, scatter the remaining grated cheese over the cream and baked surface of the pumpkin, place the dish in the middle of the table, sitting on a heavy kitchen cloth or mat, scoop the pumpkin flesh out of the skin with a little of the cheesy cream into 4 warm soup bowls. Serve the croutes and the salad on the side. To make the salad, slice the pecans lengthwise into 3 or 4 pieces, place in a small shallow pan with a drizzle of olive oil and toss over a medium heat for a few seconds until crisp. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Grate the zest from the orange and add to the nuts. Remove the pith from the orange with a sharp knife, then remove the segments carefully, into a bowl, catching all the juices. Very gently toss the salad leaves in a large bowl with the nuts, zest, a little extra olive oil and a splash of the orange juice. Taste for seasoning and divide equally between 4 salad plates. Tuck the orange segments in and serve immediately. Halibut en papillote with mushrooms, shallots, bay leaves and butter Serve these little packages straight from the oven with steamed or roasted potatoes and a green vegetable such as savoy cabbage or purple sprouting broccoli. Everyone should open their package at the table, and eat from the bag, as all the juices and aroma will be found within. Serves 4 banana shallots 4 large, or 2 medium onions button mushrooms 300g, trimmed if necessary sea salt and freshly ground pepper fresh thyme 1 tsp, finely chopped halibut 4 x 200g fillets of equal thickness bay leaves 4 butter 80g lemon finely grated zest of 1 Cut 4 large discs of parchment paper about 30cm across. Slice the shallots (or onion) finely and place in a bowl. Slice the mushrooms finely and add to the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and chopped thyme. Mix well together. Place a quarter of the shallot mix in a small pile in the centre of each disc. On to each pile place a halibut fillet, a bay leaf and 20g of the butter. Sprinkle each with the lemon zest, and a generous pinch of sea salt and pepper. Gently but firmly fold the papers over to make a semi-circle, crimping the outside edges in overlapping folds to encase the filling neatly and securely. The aim is to totally envelop the fillings, without any chance of leakage during cooking. Place them well spaced on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet – it may be necessary to gently open one bag to check after 20 minutes, then piercing the fish with a small knife to check the doneness. The fish should flake easily. Remove the tray from the oven and place each package on warm serving plates and serve. Venison sausage I usually mix these ingredients by hand, as I find it easier to blend all the lovely herbs and orange zest more evenly than with a wooden spoon – but each to their own. Cook them to medium-rare or medium, as this way the sausages will retain their juiciness. To test the doneness, break a tiny corner away from one to see the colour inside. If it is red-pink, it will need a little further cooking. Serves 4 minced venison or lamb 600g minced pork or rose veal 200g (with a generous fat content) sea salt 1 level tsp red chilli 1 small, chopped very fine with seeds fennel seeds 1 tsp orange grated zest of 1 small garlic 1 clove, crushed to a cream with a little salt mixed soft green herbs 1 tbsp, chopped, such as celery leaves, parsley, coriander, chives sunflower or rapeseed oil to fry chutney, mustard or mayonnaise to serve Place the minced meats together in a large bowl and add all the ingredients except the oil and the condiments. Mix together until well blended. Divide into 8 pieces and shape into sausages (or patties if you prefer) and leave on a plate, tightly covered, until ready to cook. If you’re lucky enough to have a charcoal grill, preheat it until hot. Place the sausages on the grill and sear until charred, turn over and repeat, then move to a cooler part of the grill to cook through. Remove from the grill and leave covered in a warm place until ready to serve. Alternatively, place a heavy based flat pan over a high heat and add a splash of oil. Place the sausages in the pan and fry until well seared on all sides. Turn the heat down a little and continue to cook through to your liking. Serve with a vegetable or tomato chutney or mustard or mayonnaise – or all 3. Savoury tart with potato, leek, gorgonzola and spinach, with watercress and red onion salad At Clarke’s we have made and sold thousands of savoury tarts during our almost 39 years – from asparagus, shallot and spinach in the spring to tomato, basil and goat’s cheese in the summer, then celeriac, rosemary and cheddar in the winter. This is one of my favourites for autumn – made light by the soft egg and cream custard filling, and balanced beautifully by the sharpness of the gorgonzola. It also makes a perfect cold snack the following day. Serves 4-6 For the pastry butter 100g plain flour 200g salt a generous pinch egg 1, whisked lightly with a splash of cold water For the filling olive oil 40ml butter 30g leek 1 large, well trimmed, cut lengthwise, washed thoroughly and sliced across finely sea salt and freshly ground pepper fresh thyme 1 tsp, finely chopped spinach leaves 200g, washed thoroughly, stems removed small potatoes 200g, washed egg 1, plus 1 yolk double cream 150ml gorgonzola dolce 100g (or vegetarian cheese of your choice) For the salad red onion 1 small, peeled watercress 1 bunch, washed, large stalks removed and spun gently white chicory 1 small, sliced fine across on the angle olive oil sea salt and pepper lemon juice a squeeze Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg mix and, using a fork, stir gently until the mass comes together. Remove to a clean work surface and knead the ball of dough for a few seconds until it becomes smooth. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling into a disc. Gently lift the pastry into a 20-22cm tart tin and press into the corners. If any cracks appear, simply use a little of the pastry to glue it together. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Put a disc of parchment paper in the shell and fill with baking beans or raw rice, which will help to keep the shape of the pastry as it cooks. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the paper and baking beans or rice and return to the oven to continue cooking until pale golden and crisp (about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile, for the filling, place a flat heavy based pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When they start to sizzle, add the sliced leek and stir over the heat until soft (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from the heat and add the salt, pepper and chopped thyme. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices in the pan. Place the pan again over a high heat, add the spinach leaves and toss together in the juices to wilt. Remove the spinach with a slotted spoon to a plate or bowl and keep the juices. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until just done, strain and cool before slicing into 3 or 4. Gently whisk the egg, yolk and cream in a small bowl, season with salt pepper and add up to 2 tablespoons of the retained spinach juices. Scatter the drained leeks over the base of the tart, then loosely place the spinach leaves on top, followed by the potato slices. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C fan/gas mark 3. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet (to catch any drips as it cooks), pour in the egg mix, then very gently place the tray in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove from the oven and dot the gorgonzola over. Continue to bake until the cheese begins to melt. Remove the tart carefully from the tin and slide on to a serving dish. Serve as soon as possible with the salad. To make the salad, cut the onion in half and with the cut sides down, using a very sharp knife, slice the onion in paper-thin half moons. Rinse them in a bowl of iced water, drain and pat dry. Place the watercress, chicory and onion in a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and toss gently together. Serve immediately.