Simple and in Season September: savoury delights

So here’s the second part of September’s round-up of Simple and in Season, and this time it’s devoted to all of the savoury recipes that came in. I have to say it makes a welcome and inspiring change from my fairly safe family food… enjoy!

I’d never thought to make a gratin with beetroot but that’s exactly what Sarah at The Garden Deli has done with this gorgeously comforting looking baked beetroot with cream and parmesan. Sarah cooked it up as a treat when her daughter wasn’t around – there are just some ingredient that us family cooks just don’t even attempt to put on the table when the kids are in town… so it feels really indulgent to cook with them sometimes!

Solange over at Pebble Soup was snowed under with writing commissions in September so she got her friend Philomena Bunce over in Ireland to come and guest post. The result is the classic Irish supper of bacon and cabbage – a warming plate of love for autumnal evenings.

Janet at The Taste Space in Canada had a long weekend on her hands and ended up making these wonderful looking cherry colmard dolmas, a Turkish inspired recipe of collard leaves stuffed with rice, beans and fresh cherries. That filling looks so juicy and tasty…

Janet from The Taste Space posted another seasonal recipe drawing on her Eastern European roots – kasha salad with roasted beets and green beans in a lemon dill vinaigrette, I’d not heard of it but Kasha is buckwheat that has been hulled and roasted.

Now this is what I call a sandwich! Rita Cooks Italian sent in this whopping pizza focaccia style with figs and prosciutto – this would make the perfect Saturday lunchtime feast if you ask me.

Helen at Fuss Free Flavours got creative with broccoli with her fresh and tasty looking tenderstem and semi confit tomato salad – it’s one of those gorgeous recipes that lets a few simple flavours speak for themselves – lovely.

Check out this gloriously chunky autumn broth from Karen over at Lavender and Lovage. I’m heavily into soup making at the moment and love seeing what everyone else is cooking up. I’ve been blending all of my soups, but this is definitely one i’d leave in tact so you get all that colour and texture.

Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe is clearly a kitchen adventurer, posting a strawberry, avocado and walnut salad paired with a chocolate vinaigrette. It sounds totally intriguing as I’m a big fan of mixing the savoury and the sweet. The potato quinoa scones also look lush. I’m definitely going to be revisiting Johanna’s blog for some vegetarian inspiration 🙂

Ren treated us to her mum’s Polish potato salad – the perfect side for a buffet lunch and packed with lots of flavour from the egg and pickled cucumbers – ultra yum!

My husband was very interested in this third entry from Taste Space – the vegan alternative to the BLT – curried kabocha squash flatbread. The bacon is thin strips of aubergine and the mayo is made out of tofu and cashews – amazing!

Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker sent in these sumptuous looking bacon, brie and fig muffins – what a fabulous flavour combo, I can almost smell them cooking in my head.

A classic autumnal supper from Leeks and Limoni who’s in a ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ kind of mood with her – risotto ai funghi. Mushroom risotto is so warming and easy to eat – especially in a bowl on your lap on the sofa in front of a good film of a weekend.

Over in France Chez Foti has been making these beautiful little fig, goats cheese and red onion tarts after a spot of fig picking at a friend’s house.  Perfect for parties and buffets, or as a nibble served with pre-dinner drinks or a starter with a few dressed leaves on the side.

Food Eat Love was in Sweden for the weekend and came up with this lovely Nordic inspired recipe for cod with foraged chantarelles. Autumn is a great time for foraging – especially if you can fill your basket with lots of amazing mushrooms like these.

Some more tarts, this time from Chocolate Log Blog. The honeyed fig and goats cheese tarts look perfect for a dinner party and are drizzled with chocolate balsamic vinegar which sounds divine!

And finally we’ve got this bountiful top of beef rib with roasted figs from London Busy Body – who could resist this for sunday lunch?! It makes me want to put my cosy sheepskin slippers on and crank up the fire!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their recipes for September’s Simple and In Season. I’ve really enjoyed going through all of the recipes and discovering lots of new blogs on the way. There have been so many amazing entries that I felt compelled to choose two winners – one from each round-up – so here they are….

The Winners

Sweet recipe: Cake Crumbs and Cooking: fig and Vanilla Demerara Crunch Cake

prize: Chocolate goodies from Montezuma

Savoury recipe: The Garden Deli: baked beetroot with cream and parmesan

prize: Abel & Cole cookbook

Well done and Ren will be in touch to send you your prizes!