All posts tagged: seasonal

peach and mint sangria

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Welcome, all ye who love summer. The heat of it. The gleam of it. The relaxed, open sensation of it. It’s the time of year when you become “holiday you” and then try and take that person through to the rest of the slightly colder, more insular months. The one who walks barefoot and laughs full-throated at cobbleside tables. Who packs picnics and hopes for fair weather, head tilted upwards, instead of checking the weather forecast. Who throws on a pair of sandals and sunglasses and calls it a day, letting the sunshine melt away your flaws. This is the drink for you. Make it up the night before and leave it in the fridge – when you’re ready to greet the sun, it’ll be ready to go with you. It’s refreshing, fruity, and packs a summer punch. That is to say, you’ll be happy sipping this on a picnic blanket with good friends – and no other plans. It goes without saying, but use the freshest ingredients you can. During the summer, peaches are …

creamy pumpkin rigatoni

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At this time of year, I invariably have odd half cups of pumpkin puree leftover from making pancakes, waffles, and the like. This year I even played around with a pumpkin pie ice cream, which was, in the end, really rather tasty. So a pumpkin overflow isn’t exactly the worst problem to have. In fact, come lunchtime, it’s often the best ingredient for a fast, seasonal and, most importantly (at least on cold, dreary days), warming meal. This takes about as long as your pasta takes to cook. While it bubbles away, you can hover near the stove assembling and stirring the sauce, and enjoying the balmy heat of the kitchen (a boon when your flat refuses to acknowledge that the heat is on full whack). You’ll notice that much of this is “to taste” – from the amount of nutmeg to the parmesan. Embrace that. Grab a spoon and taste as you go. After all, the oven’s on and it’s a nice warm place to be. Maybe you want your pasta extra cheesy today? …

tahini toast with apple and cinnamon

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This is one of my perfect autumn breakfasts. And although I’m writing about it here, it’s hardly a recipe. More of a suggestion of how to assemble a pretty cracking piece of toast. Basically, spread some good sourdough toast thickly with tahini, layer on some thin (thin) slices of fresh apple, and then sprinkle it all with ground cinnamon and crunchy Maldon salt. Eat with a hot cup of coffee alongside and just wait – everything in the universe will align in that bite, and everything will feel good, and warm, and autumnally-suffused with spice. This is a simple dish, and as such, you will taste all the elements involved. That’s kind of the magic. You get the crunch from the bread, and the savoury pop from the snowy flakes of good salt (hello, Maldon, you delicious beast). The warm freshness of the apple balanced by the smooth nuttiness of the tahini. And then cinnamon wrapping it all in scent and spice. So, pay attention to what you use. Starting with the bread: I would …

chapter 5: a seasonal shift

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Hello, autumn, and hello to – sharing a plate of pumpkin cinnamon rolls with family, hot from the oven and drizzled with cream cheese icing – sticky, sugary, good soup, made with hearty grains and meats, more brothy, light – it’s not winter yet the heady scent of cinnamon – a pinch in a pot of coffee before it’s brewed, imparting mellow, memory-rich spice lighting candles for a breakfast of yeasted waffles with cinnamon-sugar-roasted figs and vanilla-olive-oil yoghurt – stolen moments before the day really starts conker spotting – kicking leaves – digging out woolens – buying soft socks being wrapped in a heavy dressing gown on chilly mornings, padding over to the boiler in soft socked feet to flick the heat on – not yet necessary, but nice new stoneware mugs, perfect for petite cups of steaming hot coffee – held lovingly by hands wrapped in warm Dijon-coloured fingerless gloves the crisp bluster of Glasgow air and soft pink-blue sunsets, best seen from the top of the Lighthouse or the viewpoint at Queen’s Park …