Katie White

Katie has a down-to-earth approach towards vegan food, sharing gardening inspiration and deliciously decadent recipes that celebrate seasonal produce. She earned a diploma in Plant-based Culinary Arts through Le Cordon Bleu London and is also a singer and songwriter. Her first print book, The Seasonal Vegan, is coming out on 26 April 2023.

instagram.com/by_katie_white

Plant-based recipe inspiration

Raya Higgs View › Ginger ramen with vegan eggs

Recipe

Ginger ramen with vegan eggs

Ramen is an all-time favourite Japanese dish, full of flavour and nutrition. The secret ingredient to our vegan eggs is black salt. Known as kala...

Raya Higgs

View ›

Recipe

Apple avocado mint pops

Like a green smoothie but in the form of an ice block – how great is that? These ice pops are like little pieces of magic on a very hot day.

View ›

Recipe

Avocado, cranberry, walnut, and vegan feta toasts

Perfect for breakfast or brunch, this beautiful dish tastes as good as it looks!

View ›

Recipe

Vegan avocado chocolate torte

A delicious, vegan indulgence for all to enjoy.

Anthea Cheng View › Cinnamon Babka

Recipe

Cinnamon Babka

Soft, sweet cinnamon-spiced dough is topped with a luscious cinnamon buttercream spread, then braided to create the stunning swirled effect in...

Anthea Cheng

Raya Higgs View › Okonomiyaki

Recipe

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake that is a popular street food from Osaka, Japan. It’s a favourite brunch for all who’ve tried it. You’ll...

Raya Higgs

Amanda Logan View › Vegan burger with the lot

Recipe

Vegan burger with the lot

Burgs are life! We love all the classics, and they are tastier and better for you when filled with plants. This Vegan burger with the lot is sure...

Amanda Logan

More inspiration from our mindful collective

From Breathe Magazine View › Time to live

Wellbeing - Breathe Magazine

Time to live

Does life feel like an uphill battle? Maybe it’s time for change

From Breathe Magazine

From Breathe Magazine View › Natural sleep oils

Wellbeing - Breathe Magazine

Natural sleep oils

Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber

From Breathe Magazine

From Mindful Puzzles View › Start with you

Wellbeing - Mindful Puzzles

Start with you

Taking a look at self-reflection

From Mindful Puzzles

From Mindful Puzzles View › To wander with no purpose

Wellbeing - Mindful Puzzles

To wander with no purpose

The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you

From Mindful Puzzles

From Breathe Magazine View › Let it glow

Wellbeing - Breathe Magazine

Let it glow

A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out

From Breathe Magazine

From Mindful Parenting View › Seeking the silver lining

Wellbeing - Mindful Parenting

Seeking the silver lining

When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.

From Mindful Parenting

Autumn harvest

8th April 2023

Words by Katie White

Category: Food stories | Guides

As the weather cools, we let the kitchen warm us. We’re roasting, we’re baking, we’re making pies and tarts and pizza. Yum!

Autumn is an abundant time of year when many delicious plants are ready for harvest. We get to reap the benefits of nutritious figs and fill our cupboard with pumpkins to savour through the colder months to come. It’s also time for the food we eat to get heartier – more warming dishes and comforting meals begin to fill our bellies.

Autumnal abundance

Pumpkins are probably the most renowned autumn crop, likely due to the American ‘fall’ traditions of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkins can be stored for months when picked on the dark moon, and in old times before supermarkets and refrigeration, this was a miracle because it would allow the nutrients of the warmer months to be carried into winter.

Aside from pumpkin, corn and garlic are two vegetables that are also in season in autumn. When it comes to fruit, the rose family, which includes pears and apples, are ripe for the picking. In spring they blossom, in summer they develop fruit, and come autumn they are ready to share sweet fruit with us before going dormant over winter.

Easter is the holiday during the autumn of the Southern Hemisphere, so a time for chocolatey treats for many! My chocolate and bay tart uses bay leaves to impart a delicate sweet spice to the richness of the chocolate filling. While bay leaves are perennial and not unique to the season, they are a symbol of peace and have long been associated with Easter. This was the inspiration for infusing their sweet, soft spice with rich, decadent chocolate.

Savouring the season

Let the produce of autumn’s harvest get you inspired to get creative in the kitchen. Here are some favourites that you’ll find on regular rotation on my autumn table:

Roast butternut pumpkin with black barley

Stuffed butternuts make a glorious seasonal dinner centrepiece in this hearty and flavoursome dish. If you don’t have time to pre-sprout the barley, this step is optional – although recommended!

Apple pie

You can’t go wrong with a classic homestyle apple pie, and this one ticks all the boxes, with its buttery crust, hearty filling, and crumbly topping.

Sweet fig pizza with salted caramel and chocolate

In this recipe, homemade pizza bases are smothered with sweet bechamel, and topped with figs, chocolate chips, and salted caramel sauce. A sprinkle of orange zest is the final magic touch.

Chocolate and bay Easter tart

This exquisite tart infuses the soft sweet flavour of bay leaves through its silky chocolate filling. Bay leaves are a traditional symbol of peace, long associated with Easter, making it perfect for seasonal spreads at this time of year – or any occasion that calls for a showstopping chocolate treat!

Pumpkin pie

This sweet pumpkin pie has it all: a melt-in-your mouth pastry crust, a rich cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced pumpkin filling, and a fluffy layer of whipped coconut cream to top it all off. It’s surprisingly easy, too – just remember to factor in time for it to cool and set in the fridge overnight.

Images: Kelly Harwood Photography.