I love autumn! The light has a beautiful warm tinge to it, there is a subtle bonfire smell in the air and colder evenings invite you to reunite with your favourite chunky knits (even if your boyfriend calls you names for wearing them…).
The vegetable stalls strain under truck loads of squashes and pumpkins, which is music to my ears. I’m always quick to pounce and buy as many as I can physically carry. They are delicious, super versatile, lend themselves to all sorts of desserts, soups, stir-fries, stews – and keep for ages. I often call upon my old trusty butternut squash when all other veg have either been devoured or gone bad (although I rarely let that happen) to make me a deliciously filling pot of butternut squash soup. The only challenge is preparing this puppy (not literally) for oven roasting as it takes big mitts (sadly, I have baby hands), strength and a sharp knife. My solution is to outsource this task to my lovely boyfriend in exchange for dinner. Last minute update: if you don’t have any professional squash chopper at hand, it is enough if you simply quarter it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and bake the quarters whole (without peeling). Once the edges are slightly caramelised and the inside is soft, scoop the baked flesh out with a spoon and straight into a pot with onion mixture.
