A vegetarian harvest supper

Before we finally plunge into winter here's a late autumn supper menu from my book Food, Wine and Friends that combines the best of autumn’s produce with a couple of convenience products.

Ready rolled pastry has made it wonderfully easy to knock up a quick, impressive tart while a simple dessert of grilled fruit dresses up a bought carton of ice cream. The soup can even be made ahead and frozen if you like.

Menu:
Pumpkin soup with honey and sage
Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Tart, warm new potatoes, Garden salad
Grilled figs with cinnamon and sweet oloroso sherry ice cream and brandy snaps

Pumpkin soup with honey and sage
This is based on a delicious soup I had at a restaurant called Tom’s Kitchen, run by top London chef Tom Aikens. His version, I discovered, contained chicken stock. Mine is vegetarian but you could of course base it on chicken stock too.

Serves 4-6

75g unsalted butter
1 small to medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash, de-seeded, peeled and cut into cubes
2 heaped tbsp clear honey
3 sprigs of sage
750ml vegetable stock made with an organic vegetable stock cube or 1 level tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
75ml double cream
Lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gently melt the butter in a large lidded saucepan or casserole. Add the onion and carrot, stir, cover and cook over a low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the cubed pumpkin or squash, honey and sage, stir, replace the lid and continue to cook very gently for about 10 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly then remove the sage and sieve the soup, retaining the liquid. Put half the cooked vegetables into a blender or food processor with just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to blend into a smooth purée.

Transfer to a clean pan and repeat with the remaining vegetables, adding the puree to the first batch. Whizz the remaining liquid in the blender or food processor to pick up the last bits of puree and add that too. Bring the soup slowly to the boil then stir in the cream without boiling further.

Season to taste with lemon juice (about 1 tbsp), salt (about a teaspoon) and black pepper. Serve with an extra swirl of cream or scatter some crisp-fried sage leaves on top and serve with crusty wholewheat or multi-grain bread.

Heirloom tomato and mozzarella tart
There are so many beautifully coloured tomato and pepper varieties now it’s easy to make a really spectacular looking tart

Serves 4-6

375g ready rolled puff pastry
1 large or two smaller red peppers (about 225-250g in total)
1 large or two smaller yellow peppers (about 225-250g in total)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 whole cloves of garlic, flattened
4 heaped tbsp red pesto, fresh or from a jar
150g buffalo mozzarella, drained and finely sliced
125g red cherry tomatoes, de-stalked and halved
125g yellow cherry tomatoes, de-stalked and halved
1/2 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
A little freshly grated parmesan
A few basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Take the pastry out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you need to unroll it.

Quarter the peppers, remove the pith and seeds and cut each quarter into half lengthways. Put them in a roasting tin with the garlic cloves, pour over 2 tbsp olive oil, mix together well and roast for about 20-25 minutes until the edges of the peppers are beginning to blacken. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Unroll the pastry and lay on a lightly greased rectangular baking tray. With a sharp knife score a line round the pastry about 1 1/4 cm from the edge. Spread the pesto evenly inside the rectangle you’ve marked. Lay the pepper strips across the base of the tart, alternating red and yellow sections. Tear the mozzarella slices roughly and distribute over the peppers. Grind over some black pepper. Arrange the halved tomatoes over the peppers, red on yellow and yellow on red. Rub the oregano or marjoram over the tart, season with a little salt and a little more pepper and trickle over the remaining oil.

Turn the oven heat up to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg and bake for 12 minutes or until the edge of the tart is well puffed up and beginning to brown. Turn the heat back down again to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and cook for another 12-15 minutes until the tops of the tomatoes are well browned. Coarsely grate or shave a little parmesan over the tart then leave to cool for 5 minutes. Tear the basil leaves roughly and scatter them over the tart. Serve warm.

Steamed potatoes with butter, parsley and chives
Freshly dug potatoes have a wonderful, earthy, nutty taste that’s best shown off by steaming

1 kg of new or waxy salad potatoes such as Charlotte
40g warm melted butter
2 heaped tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Scrub the potatoes, leaving the skins on and cut into small even-sized pieces. Steam until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Put the potatoes in a serving dish, pour over the butter, sprinkle with the chopped herbs, season lightly with seasalt and freshly ground black pepper and toss together. Serve warm.

Garden salad
One of the nicest things to have with meal based on seasonal produce is a large, freshly picked salad of dark leafy greens, either from the garden or from the farmer’s market

2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
4 tbsp organic sunflower oil
200g mixed dark leafy greens such as rocket, spinach and watercress and even a few fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of sugar (optional)

Whisk together the rice vinegar and sunflower oil in a large salad bowl, adding extra salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to taste if needed. Tip the greens in the salad dressing just before serving and toss together.

Grilled figs with cinnamon and sweet oloroso sherry
An easy way to glam up a ready-bought carton of toffee or caramel ice cream

serves 6

6 ripe fresh figs
2 tbsp unrefined light brown soft sugar
1 tsp cinnamon.
15g butter
6 tbsp sweet oloroso sherry

Caramel, toffee or vanilla icecream to serve

Wash the figs carefully and pat dry. Halve and lay them cut side up in a buttered ovenproof dish. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the figs. Put a knob of butter on top of each half fig and spoon over the sherry.

Place the dish on the lowest grill level and grill until the butter and sugar have melted and the figs are beginning to caramelise (about 5/6 minutes). Serve with caramel, toffee or vanilla ice cream, spooning over the warm sherry-flavoured syrup

Brandysnaps
One of those clever recipes which look incredibly difficult but which are in fact quite easy to make

2 tbsp golden syrup
75g unrefined light brown soft sugar
50g butter
50g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3/325°F
You will need 2 large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking parchment

Measure out the golden syrup into a saucepan. (You’ll find this easier to do if you dip the spoon into a jug of boiling water and shake off the excess before you put it in the tin). Add the sugar and butter and heat very gently until just melted then take the pan off the heat. Don’t allow it to boil. Sift the flour with the ginger and allspice and mix thoroughly with the sugar, syrup and butter mixture.

Put four teaspoons of the mixture on the first baking sheet, allowing plenty of room for them to spread. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits are a rich brown. Five minutes later repeat with the second baking tray*.

When you remove the first batch of biscuits leave them to cool for about a minute then ease them off the paper with a palatte knife. If you want them the traditional curled up brandy snap shape roll them straightaway round the handle of an oiled wooden spoon then place on a baking tray to cool.

Otherwise just leave them flat. Keep baking the mixture in batches of four until it is all used up. The biscuits will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight tin.

* the point about baking brandysnaps in batches is that it gives you time to roll them up while they’re still warm otherwise they’ll break rather than bend.

What to drink
Wine will of course go perfectly well with this menu (a Chardonnay, I suggest with the soup, a soft fruity red like Merlot with the tarts) but maybe I can make a case for artisanal cider which is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment or perry, which is cider made with pears. I’d pick a medium-dry rather than a very dry one which should take you right through the first two courses. The dessert already includes alcohol in the form of a sweet oloroso sherry but you could serve a small glass with it too if you like.

Picture of pumpkin soup (not the above recipe) ©RitaE at Pixabay

A simple spring supper for 4

This is the kind of easy meal I like to make for friends. The soup can be made in advance (or buy one of the excellent ready made chilled soups there are nowadays and dress it up with some fresh herbs), the steak is finished in the oven and the dessert literally takes minutes.

Pea, broccoli and mint soup with goats’ cheese crostini

The first of the pea crop is coming through now but frankly, frozen peas will do just as well. The slight bitterness of the greens offsets their sweetness perfectly.

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
1 small to medium onion peeled and roughly chopped or 5/6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small head of broccoli (about 225-250g)
225g fresh peas (podded weight) or frozen peas
500ml light chicken or vegetable stock (or stock made with organic vegetable bouillon powder)
10-12 mint leaves
1 heaped tbsp finely chopped parsley and chives
For the goats cheese crostini
8 crostini bases*
100g very fresh young goats cheese

Warm the oil in a large saucepan then add the butter and the onion, stir and cook over a gentle heat for about 4 minutes until soft. Cut the broccoli florets off the stalk then cut them in small, even-sized pieces. Add the broccoli and peas to the onion, pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the vegetables are soft (about 4-5 minutes). Strain off and reserve the liquid. Tip the vegetables into a blender or food processor, add a little of the liquid back and whiz until smooth, gradually adding the remaining liquid (you may have to do this in two batches), Pour the soup back into the saucepan. Finely chop the mint, add to the soup and warm through but don’t leave on the heat or the colour will go. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the crostini bases with fresh goats cheese. Serve the soup in small bowls with a scattering of fresh herbs and a couple of crostini on the side.

To drink: You could either go for a minerally Loire Sauvignon like a Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé, a young Chablis or a top quality pinot grigio from the Alto Adige

Seared fillet steak with asparagus and mushrooms

One of my favourite recipes from my latest book Meat and Two Veg. If you’re making steak for more than two it’s easier to flash it in the oven than cook them individually.

Serves 4

1 tsp mixed peppercorns
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 dsp plain flour
600g piece of fillet steak
1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
For the asparagus and mushrooms
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
350g chestnut mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas 8/450°F. Put the peppercorns, sea salt, rosemary in a mortar and crush to a fine consistency. Mix in the flour and tip into a shallow dish. Pat the steak dry and roll in the spice mixture. Heat a large frying pan for about 2 minutes, add the oil, heat for a minute then add the butter. As the foaming dies down place the steak in the pan and sear briefly on each side. Put the steak in a shallow dish or roasting tin and transfer to the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending how well done you like it. Remove and rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Meanwhile trim the woody ends off the asparagus, cut them in two then cut the larger spears in half lengthways. Steam or microwave for 3 minutes until just tender. Wipe or rinse the mushrooms clean and slice roughly. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan and toss the asparagus spears in it for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown and char. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil and butter and fry the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes. Return the asparagus to the pan and warm through. Season with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour any juices from the beef into the roasting pan then slice the beef thinly. Serve with a spoonful of juices poured over with the asparagus and mushrooms alongside. We quite often eat this without potatoes but if you want to serve some you could serve some boiled or roast new potatoes (put them in before the steak if you’re roasting them)

To drink: The steak and mushrooms are a more important factor than the asparagus in this match though you might want to pick up on its flavour by choosing a red that has some herbaceous notes of its own like a cabernet franc or a cool climate cabernet sauvignon or cabernet/merlot blend.

Smashed strawberry meringue

A very easy English pudding, commonly known as Eton Mess

Serves 4-6

450g ripe strawberries
1 tbsp caster sugar + 2 tsp for the cream
1 pack of meringue nests (Marks and Spencer do really good ones that taste just like homemade meringues)
284 ml carton double cream
150 ml carton whipping cream

Pull the stalks off the strawberries and slice them thickly. Save a few slices then sprinkle 1 tbsp of the sugar over the rest and set aside. Break up the meringues into chunky pieces. Mix the two creams together with the remaining sugar and beat with an electric or handheld whisk until the mixture just holds its shape and forms a floppy peak. Layer up the strawberries, meringue and cream in individual glass dishes or a larger bowl, finishing with a layer of cream. Chill in the fridge till you’re ready to eat it then decorate with the remaining strawberries

To drink: Meringues and cream always suggest bubbles to me so pick a semi-sweet sparkling wine like a Clairette de Die or demi-sec Champagne.

How about having a New Year's Eve beer dinner for a change?

If you haven’t already made your plans for New Year’s Eve why not invite over a few friends and treat them to a beer dinner instead of one based on wine? It’s a great way to open their eyes to the great range of artisanal beers that are now available.

This suggested menu comes An Appetite for Ale, the award-winning book that my son Will and I wrote a few years ago.. Do dip into it for other beer-friendly recipes and pairings.

French-style chicken liver paté with cognac

Well, not a lot of cognac, if truth be told but it just gives the recipe that extra pzazz. I like the French way of making chicken liver paté better than the Italian way - it’s more mellow with beer

Serves 4-6 (you could also add some other charcuterie if you like)

225g fresh, free range chicken livers
100g butter at room temperature + an extra 25g for the topping
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 fresh bayleaves
A couple of sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp cognac or other brandy
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of allspice
A few coloured or black peppercorns for decoration (optional)

Pick through the chicken livers cutting away any bits of sinew or greenish patches and cut them into cubes. Heat 25g of the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until they are soft. Add one of the bayleaves, the thyme and the chicken livers, turn up the heat and fry, stirring for about 3 minutes until the chicken livers are browned on all sides.

Take the pan off the heat and cool. Remove the bayleaf and thyme and tip the livers, onion and garlic into a food processor. Whizz until smooth then add another 75g of butter, cut into cubes and whizz again. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of allspice, add the brandy and whizz a final time.

Spoon the mixture into a small pot and smooth over the surface. Heat the remaining butter gently and spoon off the milky layer that rises to the surface. Pour the clear butter over the surface of the paté and decorate with the remaining bay leaves and peppercorns, if using.

Transfer the paté to the fridge for at least a couple of hours then return to room temperature before serving with plain or melba toast (thick slices of bread, toasted then cut in half horizontally and the exposed sides grilled to create deliciously thin, crispy toast)

Suggested beer match: This is a very beer-friendly recipe but goes particularly well with strong pale ales like Anchor Liberty and American IPAs. Try it with a Belgian tripel too

Carbonnade of beef with Orval

One of the striking things about cooking with beer is that you can afford to use your best bottles to cook with. This is based on a recipe in the splendid Everyone Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek. Like most stews it tastes even better if made a day ahead and reheated

Serves 6

1.25kg leg of beef
3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3-4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
25g butter
450g onions, peeled and sliced
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme
1 bayleaf
250ml beef stock
330ml Orval or other dark Trappist beer
1 tbsp demerara or brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove any excess (but not all) fat and connective tissue from the meat, pat dry and cut into generous cubes. Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Toss the meat in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the meat in batches until well browned, transferring it to a casserole as you finish each batch. Add extra oil if needed. Once the meat is browned melt the butter in the pan, add the onions, stir well and cook over a moderate heat until beginning to brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in the thyme and bayleaf, tip the onions onto the meat and stir well. Add the beef stock and Orval to the casserole, stir, bring to the boil then half cover the pan and simmer very slowly for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat is completely tender. Stir in the sugar and vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve with baked or boiled potatoes.

Suggested beer match: Orval is the obvious choice but any dark trappist ale would do.

Bakewell tart

It stands to reason that raspberry flavoured beer should go with a dessert made with almonds and raspberries. But just how well you wouldn’t believe.

Serves 6

110g unsalted butter
3 large free-range eggs
110g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
2 level tbsp plain flour, sifted
1 level tsp almond essence
6-7 tbsp soft set raspberry jam
225g fresh or frozen raspberries
25g flaked almonds
For the pastry
250g plain flour
2 tbsp icing sugar
125g chilled butter
1 large egg yolk (+ the white, lightly beaten)
Pinch of salt

You will need a deep flan tin 23-25cm wide

First make the pastry. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes, cut the butter into the flour then rub lightly with your fingertips until the mixture is the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tbsp ice cold water, add to the pastry mix, mix lightly and pull together into a ball, adding extra water if needed. Shape into a flat disc and refrigerate for at least half an hour. (You can also, of course make this in a food processor).

Roll out the pastry into a circle large enough to fit the tin with a bit of overlap. Carefully lower the pastry into the tin, pressing it lightly into the sides and cut off the excess pastry round the edges. Prick the base lightly and chill the pastry case for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Line the pastry case with foil and bake for 10-12 minutes then remove the foil and brush the base of the pastry case with the reserved egg white. Return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes then set aside for a couple of minutes while you make the filling.

Slowly melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk or beat the eggs with the sugar until light and frothy then add the ground almonds, sifted flour, almond essence and melted butter. Spoon the jam onto the base of the tart and spread evenly. Scatter over the raspberries in an even layer then pour over the topping. Bake at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for about 40 minutes until risen and nicely browned, scattering the almonds over the surface 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Serve warm with double cream.

Suggested beer match: My dream beer with this would be New Glarus Raspberry Tart from Wisconsin but any raspberry beer would do nicely

If you're more into wine try this New Year's Eve dinner for wine lovers or, if you looking for inspiration Five Easy Ways to Impress your Friends and Family this New Year's Eve.

Which wine to choose for Thanksgiving

The first thing to bear in mind about Thanksgiving - and for that matter Christmas - is that it’s as much about mood as food. Who you’re inviting, what age they are and how big your party is are factors every bit as important as what you’re eating.

I say this particularly because the main Thanksgiving meal and the meals around it are hard ones to match: what you need is a wine that is going to cope with a whole battery of delicious flavours.

Personally I always like to start a celebratory meal like this with a glass of sparkling wine which gets everyone into the festive spirit. It doesn’t have to be Champagne (though in our house it usually is!) - there are many good substitutes available from cut price cava (good for parties) and crémants to Champagne lookalikes that come from premium sparkling wine-producing areas such as California and New Zealand.

If you’re starting with a soup such as a pumpkin soup or a creamy chowder as you may well be I’d suggest a smooth dry unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay or a Chenin Blanc. That might sound like a bit of a cop-out - everyone drinks Chardonnay but that’s because everyone likes Chardonnay - and for festive family meals what you’re looking for are crowd pleasers. Smooth dry whites are also just about the best available match for soup.

If you’re planning some kind of seafood starter Sauvignon Blanc is generally a safe bet though if it incorporates Asian flavours you could serve a dry or off-dry Riesling.

For the turkey itself I would offer a choice of white or red - a full-bodied Chardonnay or Viognier for the more adventurous and a ripe fruity red - something like a Zinfandel, Merlot, Carmenère, Shiraz or a full bodied Pinot Noir (lighter styles may get swamped by the big flavours of typical turkey accompaniments). These wines will work with a Thanksgiving ham too.

Your instinct may well be to bring out a much treasured old bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion but I would save it for a smaller gathering and a simpler menu. What you need with turkey and its trimmings is a wine that is vibrantly fruity not one that’s faded and delicate. If you don’t already have a favourite bottle in mind it’s a good idea to visit a local wine shop or merchant that has regular tastings so you can try a selection of different wines before you buy.

Desserts again can be a bit of a minefield for wine, particularly if you’re serving more than one. Pumpkin pie, I’ve found is particularly good with a southern French Muscat or Spanish Moscatel, wines which would also work with a traditional apple pie.

If you’re serving a chocolate dessert however I’d suggest a sweet red wine such as a sweet Shiraz. or, again for adventurous guests, iced shots of a raspberry-flavoured liqueur or a cherry brandy. The basic rule to bear in mind is that your wine should be sweeter than your dessert - and served well chilled.

You may also find this post useful on the difference between the Thanksgiving turkey and a Christmas turkey when it comes to choosing wine and this longer post on drink matches for pumpkin pie.

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash