With autumn and winter approaching, we can expect to see fruits such as plums, figs, grapes, apples, pears, quinces, pomegranates, kiwifruit, passionfruit, rhubarb, lemons, limes and oranges in our greengrocers and supermarkets.
Our vegetables become more earthy in colour - think root vegies such as parsnips, carrots, swedes, turnips, leeks, cauliflower, eggplant, pumpkin and spinach - and our habits change as the weather becomes colder.
We tend to stay indoors more and cook slow, comforting foods. There's nothing like a slow casserole cooking – the aroma wafts all through the house while the oven warms every room.
Autumn/winter is also a great time to do some baking. Imagine tucking into a batch of scones on a cold afternoon while watching a video, or savouring a gorgeous deep-dish apple pie with lashings of cream.
Don’t worry - when spring arrives you can go crazy getting rid of the extra weight you've cultivated during the lazy winter period. Simply enjoy this time in your kitchen creating delicious food.
We're fortunate in Australia and New Zealand to have so many growers markets where we can speak face-to-face with the producers. At my local growers market I buy creamy homemade butter; baby salad greens; organic venison, lamb and duck; aromatic fresh herbs to die for; divinely rich cheeses; figs as big as your fist; and flowers to fill my house.
No one knows their products like the people who produce them. Stallholders at growers markets are founts of knowledge and they're always more than happy to advise you on the best way to prepare and cook their produce.
I always come away from my local growers market with bags full of goodies and think how very lucky we are to be able to buy produce of such great quality. If you haven't yet experienced a growers market, spoil yourself - you'll have a great time!
I hope you enjoy the recipes on the website and in our beautiful magazine. If you have any queries, ideas, experiences or recipes you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you at dixie@mindfood.com.
