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

Rebecca Stonor View › Strawberry salad with black rice, basil, and tofu ricotta

Recipe

Strawberry salad with black rice, basil, and tofu ricotta

Strawberries are simply lovely in a salad and contrast beautifully with the black rice in this one to make a gorgeous-looking dish. Finished off...

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Amanda Logan View › Gluten-free rum ball chocolate tart

Recipe

Gluten-free rum ball chocolate tart

Wow your guests with this elegant, rich dessert. The rum is optional but undoubtedly adds a classic festive touch. Perfect topped with fresh...

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Naomi Sherman View › Pear, walnut, and blue cheese pizza

Recipe

Pear, walnut, and blue cheese pizza

Make pizza night a bit more special with this glorious and aromatic combination of sweet, crunchy, salty, cheesy flavours and textures.

Naomi Sherman

Jade Woodd View › Three-ingredient caramel ‘truffles’

Recipe

Three-ingredient caramel ‘truffles’

Medjool dates create the creamy caramel centre for this wholefood take on truffles. Simple but sophisticated, they’re sure to impress, whether...

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Katie White View › Pumpkin pie

Recipe

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...

Katie White

Sara Kidd View › Gluten-free brownies

Recipe

Gluten-free brownies

Nobody should miss out on to-die-for chocolate brownies, and Sara Kidd’s vegan and GF recipe guarantees no-one has to!

Sara Kidd

Naomi Sherman View › Butter bean smash with roasted mushrooms

Recipe

Butter bean smash with roasted mushrooms

Creamy beans with a hint of lemon are the perfect base for delicious, garlicky mushrooms.

Naomi Sherman

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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.