Autumn recipes

SUMPTUOUS SEPTEMBER SUPPERS

The start of autumn is a wonderful time especially with the fresh produce available to create some simply stunning dishes

GRILLED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH HERBY, CHEESY COUSCOUS These sweet and salty, stuffed peppers are perfect for a late summer BBQ or done under the grill, all using fresh ingredients from your garden or supermarket.

INGREDIENTS • 4 x Red Peppers • 2 tbsp Olive Oil • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup

FOR THE FILLING • 200g couscous • 200ml vegetable stock • 2 cups of walnuts • 2 cups of fresh basil leaves • 2 tbsp olive oil • 200g feta cheese • 3 x garlic cloves • Parmesan or any other

Italian hard cheese • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD • Pour the vegetable stock over the couscous; add salt and pepper and cover. • Meanwhile, pop the walnuts, basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan cheese and garlic cloves into a mortar and pestle roughly. Season with salt and pepper. • Break the Feta cheese into 1 cm cubes and fork into the couscous. • Add the mix from the mortar into the couscous and give a good stir. • Cut a circle around the stalk of the pepper and pop off the top. Clean out the inside removing the seeds. • Stuff the peppers with the couscous and seal the lid of the pepper with cocktail sticks. • Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and maple syrup into a bowl to create a marinade. • Put the sealed pepper directly on to the BBQ or under the grill. • Marinade the pepper every few minutes while on or under the grills. • Once the pepper’s skin is charred on all sides, marinade once more before serving.

BOLD BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CHILLI & CRÈME FRAICHE Early autumn is the perfect time to harvest fresh butternut squash. Combining its earthy flavour with chilli and crème fraiche really brings this soup to life.

INGREDIENTS • 1 butternut squash • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp butter • 2 chopped red onions • 1 roasted garlic clove • 2 red chillies • 850 ml vegetable stock • 4 tbsp crème fraiche

METHOD • Heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Place the roasting tray with 1 tbsp olive oil inside. • Peel the butternut squash, deseed and then cut into 4 cm chunks. • Wrap the garlic clove, with a little olive oil, in tinfoil and put into the hot roasting tray alongside the butternut squash. • Roast for 30 mins, removing the garlic after 10. • Meanwhile, melt the butter with the remaining olive oil in a saucepan. Add the diced red onion, the roasted garlic and the chopped, deseeded chillies. • Cover and cook for 20 mins. • When the butternut squash has had 30 mins, add to the saucepan with the vegetable stock and the crème fraiche. Stir before blitzing with a hand blender or liquidiser. • Season to taste before serving in bowls with an extra bit of crème fraiche on top.

HEARTY SAUSAGE CASSEROLE WITH HERBY POTATO WEDGES This is the perfect warming dish for a cooler autumn evening. Make sure you get high-quality sausages and try to use fresh herbs when possible.

INGREDIENTS • 8 high-quality sausages • 2 tbsp cumin (Lincolnshire or • ½ bottle of stout

Cumberland) • 2 tbsp paprika • 1 tin chopped tomatoes • ½ cup fresh thyme • 2 red onions • ½ cup fresh rosemary • 1 red pepper • 3 tbsp olive oil • 8 large potatoes • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

METHOD • Slice the potatoes into wedges and pop into a pan of salted, boiling water for 10 mins. • Meanwhile, put a roasting tray with 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ of the rosemary and ¼ of the thyme into a 230C/210C fan preheated oven. • When the potatoes have had 10 mins, drain, season with salt and pepper, add the remaining thyme and rosemary and bash them in the pan to fluff the edges before adding them to the roasting tray alongside the sausages. • In a saucepan add 1 tbsp olive oil and add the chopped onions and pepper.

Cook until the onions have gone soft and then add the balsamic vinegar and leave for another minute. • Check the sausages and potatoes and flip to ensure neither stick to the roasting tray. • Add the stout to the saucepan and boil down. Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin and paprika, season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer. • Remove the sausages from the oven and add to a glass casserole dish with the sauce and put on the bottom shelf of the oven until the potatoes are ready. • When the potatoes are crispy, remove any excess oil using kitchen roll. Serve on a plate with the sausage casserole on top.