Fall Vegetable Side Dishes

Kale, pumpkins, cabbage – cook with the season.

As the days get cooler and the nights longer, we turn in the kitchen to the first of the season’s warming braises and comforting one pot suppers. And the autumn harvest brings a good time for fresh, colourful vegetables.

Pumpkins and Squash

The first of the season’s pumpkins and squash are arriving now. Try them puréed with a knob of butter or oven-roasted with rosemary and olive oil to make the perfect mash.

Wild Mushrooms

Sauté lightly with chopped shallots and fresh parsley to accompany game and poultry.

Kale

Leafy, dark green vegetables like kale are super-healthy and full of iron. Kale’s water content isn’t as high as other greens (such as spinach) so it requires a longer cooking time. Serve soft, not ‘al dente’, perhaps with roast cod or salmon.

Corn

You can’t beat fresh corn on the cob. Corn on the cob makes a great starter and is a tasty way to get one of your five-a-day.

Cabbage

The mistake people often make with cabbage is to overcook it. Finely shred savoy or hispi cabbage and steam or boiled for about four minutes.