By chef Kate Fortescue
We’re thrilled to feature our first guest post by chef Kate Fortescue — a celebration of autumn flavours, no-waste cooking, and cosy, sustainable food.
October is the month I finally give in and turn the heating on. After months of little use, my oven is also cranked up and the air at home is filled with the smell of roasting veg. The end-of-summer tomatoes and courgettes give way to the earthy sweetness of root veg and butternut squash.
As the evenings get darker and cooler, I also start to crave different food, something warmer and more comforting. Butternut squash is my favourite October ingredient. Its bright orange flesh keeps things cheerful on the plate and it is wonderfully versatile. It is the trench coat of vegetables: light enough to work in a salad when the sun is out, but substantial enough to keep you warm when the temperature drops.
Both recipes below work just as well with pumpkin, which is good news with Halloween around the corner. So don’t throw away those pumpkins, turn them into meals that will last you well beyond the trick-or-treaters.
My top food waste tip for squash and pumpkins is about the skin. In many kitchens, people peel it away. It is hard work, throws away good food and isn’t necessary. The skin softens beautifully when roasted or simmered and is full of fibre and nutrients. Just wash, chop and cook.
The same goes for the seeds. Wash, toss them in oil and roast until golden. Sprinkle with salt and you have a crunchy snack or a topping for salads and soups.
The first recipe is a warm salad of roasted squash, lentils, and chard, all coated in a sharp, tangy dressing. It has crunch from sunflower seeds and sweetness from pomegranate. Light enough to nod to summer, warm and cosy enough to welcome autumn. You can swap the chard for baby spinach or kale (best massaged with a little salt and vinegar) and the dressing also works beautifully with any roasted vegetables.
The second is the first soup I make every year as soon as the weather turns. Slow-cooked onions and garlic, ginger for warmth, squash and carrots for sweetness, cannellini beans for substance. It is velvety and comforting, and exactly what I want to eat when the nights draw in.
Cooking with squash each October feels like a ritual. It is the moment the season truly turns, the kitchen fills with warmth, and the first bowls of comfort food are ladled out. Both recipes freeze well, so double up and batch cook if you can.
Warm Butternut Squash, Lentil & Chard Salad
Serves 5-6 | 35 mins
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 large butternut squash, washed and cut into 1 cm cubes (skin on)
- 275 g chard (or substitute spinach or kale — if using kale, massage with a pinch of salt and splash of vinegar to soften)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 400 g cooked lentils (green or brown work well)
- 2 tbsp oil for roasting
- Salt and pepper
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper
To Finish
- 4 tbsp sunflower seeds (or roasted squash seeds)
- 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- 2 tbsp tahini (optional, for drizzling)
Method
1. Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 200 °C (fan). Toss the squash cubes with 1 tbsp oil and a good pinch of salt. Spread on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, or until golden and tender.
2. Cook the aromatics: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for another
2–3 minutes.
3. Prepare the chard: Separate the leaves from the stems. Finely slice the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Add the stems to the pan with onions and cook for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the leaves and cook until just wilted.
4. Combine: Stir in the cooked lentils to warm through, then remove from the heat then add the roasted squash to the pan.
5. Dress the salad: Dress while in pan with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
6. Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl. Scatter with sunflower seeds and pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with tahini if using. Serve warm.
Butternut Squash, Carrot & Cannellini Bean Soup
Serves: 8 | Time: 1 hour (mostly hands-off
Ingredients
- 500 g butternut squash or pumpkin, washed and cut into 4 × 5 cm pieces (skin on if
tender)
- 500 g carrots, cut into 3 × 4 cm pieces
- 300 g cooked cannellini beans, drained
- 400 g onions, finely diced
- 20 g garlic, finely chopped
- 15 g fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 25 g tomato paste
- 1 L water
- 3 tsp vegan stock powder
- 1.5 g fresh thyme
- 10 g olive or vegetable oil blend
- 5 g apple cider vinegar
- 5 g salt (divided)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 2 tbs yoghurt and mixed seeds to garnish
Method
1. Sweat the onions, garlic and ginger: Heat the oil in a large pan over low–medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and 3 g salt. Cook gently for 20–25 minutes until soft and sweet but not browned.
2. Add flavour base: Stir in the stock powder and tomato paste until well combined.
3. Cook the vegetables: Add the squash and carrots, stirring to coat. Pour over the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender.
4. Add beans: Stir in the cannellini beans and cook for 5 minutes more.
5. Blend: Remove from the heat and blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Season: Stir in the remaining salt, thyme, and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Finish: Just before serving, add the apple cider vinegar to balance the natural sweetness. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. Garnish: Drizzle with plain yoghurt and garnish with seeds.
Kitchen Soundtrack
Cooking soup and roasting squash at this time of year calls for something soulful but upbeat.
Try California Soul by Marlena Shaw or Memphis Soul Stew by King Curtis, music that
makes you want to slow down but keeps spirits up. For a touch of nostalgia, put on Nat King Cole’s Tis Autumn and let it carry you into the season. And if it all gets too much, Ann Peebles’ I Can’t Stand the Rain is the perfect companion to a simmering pot.
Lovely Leftovers
Leftover roasted squash is one of the most useful things you can have in your fridge. Add it into mac and cheese sauce for extra richness and sweetness, toss with pasta and crisp sage butter, or serve with a katsu curry sauce, crispy fried breadcrumbs and rice.
