Autumn is a truly spellbinding time of year, when the colours mellow, the light changes to a golden hue and the leaves start to fall. It's a time for embracing the countryside on a brisk Sunday walk, and bringing nature into our homes through the food that we eat. Crunching through the amber leaves in an ancient woodland, then coming back to a comforting plate of wholesome food: is there anything better? Our good friend and chef Gill Meller shares his thoughts about this beautiful season:
"There’s something magical about the turn of the season. That moment summer finally gives in to the rites of autumn. Life outside begins to return to the earth, the gentle furling. It’s a nostalgic, evocative time. There’s something new and old about it, a hello and a goodbye, a happy sadness. In many respects, it’s my favourite time of year. Despite the relief of spring, autumn is always calling, and marks a turning point for me, the way I cook, what I want to eat, where I want to be, it all shifts and changes."
"I’m in the kitchen again at the weekend, cooking. I light the fire in the morning, the radio’s on, that’s where I like to be. I make chutneys with marrows and green tomatoes, crumbles with plums, apples and blackberries and vegetable soups for the week ahead. On Saturdays, I’ll make rich, dark stews, curries or spicy tagines, and on Sundays, I love to cook a roast. It’s something I’ve always done, and something my mum used to do too, when I was young. A roast always feels like a real treat, it’s something to share, a meal that brings friends and family together."
See how Gill prepares his ultimate, autumnal Sunday roast with all the trimmings here.
