Autumn

At the Farm Shop we don’t treat cooking as a precise science, nor are we trying to give a comprehensive list of recipes. These are some of our favourite dishes and we hope you’ll give some of them a try. They’ve worked for us on countless occasions but that doesn’t mean, with a bit of imagination and a few tweaks, they can’t be improved. Good luck.
AutumnCategories
All CategoriesFishMain IngredientBeefChicken and poultryGameLambMuttonPorkSausageSeafoodVegetableMealDinnerLunchSeason  AutumnSpringSummerWinterSweetDessert
Chunky chilli con carneBy Redpost MediaThere's chilli and there's chilli. Everyone has their version but I think this one, using diced chuck, is pretty good. Long, slow cooking breaks up the chunks of chuck steak and the vegetables, particularly the roast squash, adds a bit of unctuousness. The extra herbs and spices give it balance making it far more interesting than the standard mouth burner. Definitely one for a cold winters night and worth making in bulk and freezing. You don't have to worry about overcooking so gently thawing in the pan is, almost, an improvement.
Merguez MeatballsBy Redpost MediaUltra easy and tasty meatballs - good on a stick, in a wrap, as part of a mezze etc. We associate merguez with lamb but apparently, in Algeria, beef is often used. It certainly works just as well.
Curried Parsnip SoupBy Redpost MediaA sweet, spiced and tasty soup to serve for lunch or as a starter with chunky bread.
Vegetable Harira soupBy Redpost MediaNot real harira but lovely nevertheless. The mixture of veg, grains and pulses, spices/sauces and salty lemon really works.
Poor Man’s TagliataBy Redpost MediaThe joys of a thick, BBQ’d and sliced on the bias, ‘Italian Tagliata’ style steak are worth striving for. Knock it into shape (literally) and it makes a fantastic, thick steak.
Broth of GodBy Redpost MediaStocks and broths are wonderful creations that we all should be making more of – not just because of their organoleptic qualities, but because it’s wasteful not to and if we’re going to go on enjoying meat, nose to tail cooking has to be the way to go.
Beef, Cabbage, Apple & Horseradish SoupBy Redpost Media

a.k.a. Austerity Soup

Is much a stew as a soup but, either way, it’s a robust and easy dish that doesn’t need constant attention. The beauty of shin is that it goes through a sudden damascene transformation from unchewably tough to mouth-wateringly tender in a matter of moments. It just takes some time to get there. The apple and horseradish adds a sweet piquancy which, when added at the end maintains its freshness.
CassouletBy Ben Watson

In the past I’ve been a little snooty about the duck confit and opted for a bit of mutton or lamb but I have to admit that I've changed my mind. It does bring a certain unctuosity to the party so it’s quack quack all round. Ham hock isn’t traditional either but as the excellent Felicity Cloake pointed out in The Guardian, it replaces both the cured meat and pigs skin so it’s oink oink there too.

The number of times you break the crust and stir in the bread crumbs is also the subject of some debate. A slightly wet, rather than claggy, cassoulet is much easier, and more enjoyable, to eat so stirring once, followed by a light sprinkling of crumbs before the final  bake is perfect.

Its not exactly traditional because it brings a bit of smokiness into the mix but our Montbeliard sausage would also a good addition.

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