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Nourish Naturally Seasonal Recipes
Our health and vitality is largely dependent on the nutritional content of food. Eating seasonally – eating foods that are available and grown locally – means getting the best flavour and nutritional value from fresh food. It’s cheaper and cleaner as fewer chemicals are required for storage and shipping. Eating crops you've grown yourself can't be beaten for ultimate satisfaction.
Each month, you will find three favourite seasonal recipes, based on key foods in season, noting their health benefits.
October
There are still lots of delicious Autumnal foods to choose from in October. Muscles and oysters are sought after from the waterbeds. Foods grown close to the ground like squash, turnips, pumkins, potatoes, caleriac, courgettes, broccoli, spinach and leeks are warming for October nights and Sunday roasts. Tree fruits like apples, pears, plums, damsons, figs and blackberries are useful in desserts and blended fresh juices.
Pumpkin and Sage Spaghetti
Pumpkin is the most famous of all the squashes and due to its association with Hallowe'en lanterns at the end of the month. Nutritionally, they are a particularly good source of fibre, as well as a range of vitamins and minerals. The orange anti-oxidant beta-carotenoids make pumkins a useful gut-healing and immune boosting food. It's fibrous content also makes it a complex carbohydrate which allows for slow release digestion and low Glycemic Load (GL) value. Interestingly, pumpkin has a high Glycemeic Index (GI) value as this rating does not take into account the amount of low carbohydrate contained within the vegetable. (The lesson here is don't only use the GI index when selecting foods, though generally choose low value ones for weight management benefits.)
Choose pumpkins that feel heavy for their size, with a smooth, firm skin. Smaller pumpkins tend to have more flesh. A simple way to cook it is to create an Italian vegetarian dish, a colourful and healthy comfort meal when the days begin to get shorter.
- 800g/1lb 12oz pumpkin flesh, chopped into small cubes
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar (optional)
- 50g butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- small bunch sage leaves, about 20, roughly chopped
- 350g dried spaghetti (preferably brown or non-wheat if appropriate)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 50g parmesan, grated
1. Tip the pumpkin into a medium-sized saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid.
Sprinkle over the sugar and a generous pinch of salt, then drizzle over 6
tablespoons of water. Cover the pan, place on a medium heat and steam
the pumpkin, stirring every so often for 10-15 minutes, or until it is soft
but still holds its shape. You may need add a spoonful or two of water
during the cooking if the pan seems dry. Set aside.
2. While the pumpkin is steaming, tip the butter and sage into a small
saucepan and heat gently until the butter is foaming, stir in the olive oil,
then turn off the heat. Boil the spaghetti in a big pan of salted water for
about 10 minutes until just cooked. When the spaghetti is cooked, scoop
out a little of the cooking water, then drain and return the spaghetti to the
pan.
3. Put the sage butter over a high heat until sizzling, then pour in the lemon
juice and let it splutter for a second. Tip the pumpkin, melted butter, 3-4
tablespoon pasta water and half the parmesan in with the spaghetti and
give it a really good stir. Season with lots of black pepper and a dash of
sea salt and serve with the remaining parmesan to sprinkle over.
Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 35 mins Vegetarian
Celeriac Oven Chips
What is celeriac? Often underrated owing to its less than attractive appearance, celeriac is just another name for celery root. I.e. It is the root of the celery stalk. To make the most of it subtle flavour with nutty overtones,
select it when the root is firm and light brown in colour. Avoid those that are soft and dark.
Celeriac is mainly water and fibre. The natural sodium can be a useful diuretic to help flush out extra water from the body. The high fibre content
aids digestive processes to regulate the bowels and prevent constipation. Vitamin C found in this vegetable boosts immunity, brain function and blood vessel integrity.
This nobbly vegetable can make a great root vegetable accompaniment as a tasty mash or alternative to roast potatoes. Boil chunks for 20 mins or roast in around 40 mins when cut into rough-shaped chunks. Try this low fat version of homemade chip wedges, which tastes alot better than it sounds! Add turmeric for a vibrant colour and anti-inflammatory properties. Serve with steamed chicken and a side salad or salmon and steamed spinach.
-
2 large celeriac(1.3kg/3lb total weight)
- 3-4 tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1. Peel the celeriac, slicing off the top and bottom and sweeping down the
sides with a heavy, sharp knife to remove the tough skin. Cut the celeriac
into thumb-thick slices and then into fat chips.
2. Bring a very large saucepan of salted water to the boil, throw in the chips
and blanch (boil rapidly, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes). Drain the chips and
throw back into the saucepan. Add the oil, curry powder and sea salt.
Toss until well coated.
3. Spread the chips over a large heavy baking tray, leaving plenty of
space (you may need 2 trays.) If you pile them on top of each other they
will steam, not roast. Roast in a pre-heated oven at 230C/ gas 8/ 210C
fan-assisted.
Serves 6 Prep 10 mins Cook 30-35 mins Low fat
Apple, Pear and Walnut Crumble
Apples are the star of the show this month with over 200 varieties grown in this country alone. Don't assume that apples are somehow less special than more exotic, and less widely-consumed fruits. They aren't! Apples combine fibre and flavanoids and Vitamin C antioxidant nutrients that are unique and unmatched by other fruits. While you won't need an apple a day to keep health problems away, you may need about three medium-sized apples per week to get some of their key health benefits.
Apples assist with cardiovascular health by keeping your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels under control and lower risk of heart disease. Flavanoids in the skins and pulp of apples provide antioxidant protection, prevent unwanted inflammation, reduce clumping of blood platelets, help regulate blood pressure and overproduction of fat in your liver cells. Several studies have also shown apples to lower asthmatic risks and improve general lung function.
Apples are generally subject to at least 50 pesticides so try to minimise the toxic load by buying organic and wash under running water before use. The addition of walnuts to this recipe may help to lower cholesterol and provides protein which will balance blood sugar more effectively than simply a sugary dessert.
- 500g apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
- finely grated zest 1 lemon, juice of ½ lemon
- sprig rosemary (optional)
- 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 500g pears, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
- cream or custard to serve
For The Crumble Topping
- 100g pack walnuts
- 175g wholemeal or granary flour
- 85g butter, diced
- 85g caster or light muscovado sugar
1. Heat oven to 190C/ fan 170C/ gas5. Top and tail apples and pears to allow
for easier peeling. Putthe copped apples, lemon zest, rosemary, if using,
and sugar in saucepan. Add the lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add
the pears and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the fruits are just beginning
to soften. Spoon the fruits and juices into a 1.7 litre pudding dish and
flatten slightly.
2. For the crumble topping, finely chop half the walnuts in a food processor
until reduced to the consistency of ground almonds. Add the flour, butter
and sugar and continue to blitz to a coarse or fine crumble mix, whichever
you prefer.
3. Roughly break the remaining walnuts with your fingers and stir into the
crumble. Scatter the crumble mix on top of the fruits and bake for 20-25
mins until golden brown. Serve warm with natural yoghurt.
Serves 4-6 Prep 30-35 mins Cook 20-25 mins
All recipes supplied from BBC Good Food.
Happy cooking and tell us if you made any useful alterations:
info@nourishnaturally.co.uk
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