Menu for Taste of the Turning Season- Cook & Eat October 2026

 

While this soup is hearty and comforting, it is still really light and fresh and bursting with vibrancy. The recipe uses cobs in its stock base to eke out as much flavour as possible.

• 1,5l water
• 4 corn cobs (kernels to be used later)
• 2 carrots roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 shallots roughly chopped
• Salt, pepper

• 500g corn (cut from four cobs)
• 400g coconut milk
• 1 stick of lemongrass, trimmed with the bulb part finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely sliced or minced if preferred
• 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely diced (leave seeds in if you like a bit of heat)
• 15g coriander, finely chopped including stalks
• 1tbsp ground turmeric
• 80g spinach, washed
• 3 limes
• Add approx. 500ml stock to soup
• Neutral oil
• Salt, pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place all the stock ingredients in a large pan. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for at least 45 mins or so. Pass through a sieve.
2. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat with a good amount of oil. Add the shallots, stir until softened. Stir in the lemongrass, garlic, chilli, and coriander. When fragrant stir in the turmeric.  After a minute stir in the corn, then the coconut milk and add 500ml of the prepared stock.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 mins until the sweetcorn is tender. Pulse a few times with a stick blender- you want to break down a little of the corn to thicken the soup but leave most intact.
4. Stir in the spinach. When wilted, season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Adjust the consistency, if necessary, with a little more stock.
5. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and lime zest.

Corn, halloumi and black bean fritters

• ingredients:
• 250g block halloumi, coarsely grated on a bock grater
• 250g sweetcorn kernels cut from 2 cobs
• 400g tin black beans, drained
• Half a red onion finely diced
• 3 tsp chopped coriander
• 1,5 tsp cumin (ground or seeds)
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150g plain flour
• 3 medium eggs
• Salt, pepper

method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the fritter ingredients until really well combined.
2. Place a large frying pan over a high heat with a little oil. Form the fritter mixture into flattish puck shaped rounds in your hands and place in the pan (do this in batches).
3. When golden on the underside turn the fritters and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue until completely cooked through, then remove from the pan and drain on paper. Alternatively, you can cook til golden on both sides and finish in the oven to ensure they are cooked all the way through.
4. Serve alongside the soup and optionally with avocado, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, coriander and a good squeeze of lime.

Fennel, apple and Brie tart

• ingredients :
• 320g sheet ready rolled puff pastry
• 1 large fennel, quartered lengthways and finely sliced with any fronds picked off and roughly chopped
• 1 large apple, finely sliced into semi circles
• 120g brie cheese, fridge-cold, finely diced
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• dash milk
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• Salt & pepper

method:

1. Bring a kettle full of water to the boil. Place the sliced fennel in a heat proof bowl, cover generously with the boiled water and leave to stand for ten minutes, then drain. Squeeze out any water from the fennel
2. Preheat oven to 180c / 355F
3. Toss together the fennel, apple, brie, rosemary, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Place the sheet of puff pastry on a baking paper lined metal baking sheet. Score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry and use a fork to prick the central rectangle all over.
5. Mix together the fennel, apple, rosemary, honey, vinegar, brie, salt and pepper. Spread the fennel mixture over the central rectangle of the pastry, leaving the border clear.
6. Beat together the egg and milk. Brush it all over the border of the tart and scatter over the fennel seeds
7. Bake for 20-30 mins (check regularly after 20 mins) until golden.

Orange-glazed beetroot and lentil salad

A classic pairing of beetroot and orange, balanced with bitter leaves, and earthy lentils. We will not add the goat’s cheese shown in photo as we already have cheese on the tart.

• 5 small-medium raw beetroots, thoroughly washed
• 250g cooked green or brown lentils
• few sprigs thyme
• 150ml red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 medium seedless oranges
• 1.5 tbsp runny honey
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1 head radicchio (or 2 chicory), washed and roughly chopped
• A good handful watercress leaves, washed
• (optional if serving as a starter for example:100g goat’s cheese, crumbled)
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

method:

1. Place the beetroot, fennel seeds, peppercorn, salt and 100ml vinegar in a large pot. Cover generously with cold water and place over a medium heat. Simmer until tender to the point of a knife — this will take 1-2 hours depending on size. Top up the water as necessary to keep the beetroots covered as they cook. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle
2. Rub the skin from the beetroots and cut into wedges
3. Cut the peel from the oranges and divide into segments — do this over a bowl to catch any juice. Squeeze any juice left in the middle into the bowl
4. Place the beetroots, a little of the orange peel, a little thyme, 20ml vinegar, honey and the orange juice in a wide pan. Place over a medium heat and stir from time to time until the dressing thickly coats the beetroots
5. Place the lentils and shallot in a mixing bowl. Dress with a little olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the salad leaves and beetroots
6. Arrange on a serving plate and top with the orange segments and goat’s cheese if using.

Coffee poached pears, whipped mascarpone, toasted hazelnuts

ingredients:

• 8 pears, peeled
• 4 shots espresso
• 1l water
• 150g dark soft brown sugar
• 500g mascarpone
• 4tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

method:

1. Place the espresso, sugar and water in a medium pan. Bring to a simmer then add the pears. Turn from time to time in the liquid until completely tender, 20-30 minutes.
2. Remove the pears from the coffee mixture and set aside to cool.
3. Place the pan back on the stove and increase the heat to high. You can add a dash of coffee liquer at this stage if you like. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by two thirds and set aside to cool.
4. Place the mascarpone in a mixer with 4/5 tsps of coffee liquid. Beat smooth.
5. Spoon the coffee mascarpone cream onto serving plates, place the pears on top, drizzle over the remaining coffee liquid and scatter over the hazelnuts.

Plum cake with vanilla cream

ingredients:

• butter,for greasing
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 500g plums
• For the cake
• 175g butter
• 175g dark muscovado sugar
• 140g golden syrup
• 2 eggs,beaten
• 200ml milk
• 300g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice

method:

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment. Butter the paper generously and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Halve the plums and arrange in the base of the tin in 1 layer, cut-sides down.

2. For the cake, melt the butter, muscovado sugar and syrup in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the eggs and milk. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then mix to a smooth batter.

3. Pour the batter into the tin, over the plums, and bake for 45-55 mins until firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. Will keep in the fridge, wrapped in baking parchment and foil, for up to 5 days.