How to turn your summer harvest into autumn recipes like this beetroot soup

These recipes for spicy tomato fondue and beetroot soup are perfect for using up summer ingredients

A deliciously silky soup with a rich, vibrant colour – it also freezes brilliantly. Make lots with the end of season beets to enjoy during autumn and winter.

This week’s column is especially for you garden heroes who nurtured your own beautiful produce during the summer and are now faced with more than you can possibly eat. I have lots of tips to preserve a glut of those tasty vegetables, fruit and fresh herbs. One does not want to waste a single scrap of your precious crop.

Because of the rollercoaster weather pattern this summer, tomatoes ripened late so, like us, you may well have a glut of super ripe tomatoes now. We have been making gallons of tomato purée to use as a basis for a tomato soup during the winter months. Tomato fondue and a spicy chilli version are also a brilliant freezer standby to use as a sauce for pasta or pizza, chicken or fish or simply as a vegetable side. I’m never without this. It’s one of my great convertibles.

Beets are easily pickled. I did try cooking and freezing them, but somehow the texture changes, became sort of spongy so that was not a great success for me. Pickled beets are great, however, keep for a year or more and don’t need to be refrigerated. This beetroot soup is also super delicious and freezes perfectly for autumn and winter dinner parties. Float a little chive or dill cream on top for extra pizzazz.

We’ve also got a glut of courgettes, some monster ones; remember the bigger they grow, the less flavour so whip them off the plant and make a spiced courgette soup, chutney or how about this zucchini bread?

It may not be everybody’s problem but I’ve also got a glut of end-of-the-season aubergines. I love to char them over a gas jet to make Turkish moutabal, which keeps very well. Rory tells me he has frozen aubergines successfully also.

Fresh herbs can be easily dried. A dehydrator is useful, but many of them can be successfully dried on the shelf in a warm kitchen or on a wire rack on the windowsill. We’ve been drying lemon verbena for herb tea during the winter too.

The last of your fresh mint can be chopped and frozen in ice cubes. Mint syrup has also been a success for me. Fantastic for winter drinks or drizzles, it adds a pep to a winter fruit salad.

Spicy Tomato Fondue

recipe by:Darina Allen

Make a big batch or several of this delicious, spicy tomato – you can whip up a meal in minutes – add a can of beans and it’s a bean stew.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 110g onions, sliced

• 1-2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 900g very ripe tomatoes in summer, peeled (see note)

• flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar, to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large stainless-steel sauté pan or casserole over a gentle heat. Add the sliced onions, chopped chillies, ground cumin and garlic, and stir well to coat everything in the oil. Cover the pan with a lid and sweat over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft, but not coloured. It is vital that the onions are completely soft before you add the tomatoes.

2. Slice the peeled fresh tomatoes and add to the pan with their juices (if you are using tinned tomatoes, you can tip them straight in). Season with salt, pepper and sugar; tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity. Cover and cook for a further 10-20 minutes until the tomato softens, uncovering for the last 5 minutes or so to reduce the sauce a little. Fresh tomatoes need a shorter cooking time than tinned ones to preserve their lively fresh flavour. Depending on how you plan to use your fondue, you might want to reduce it a bit further.

3. Cool and freeze.

4. Note: To peel tomatoes, scald the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, then pour off the water and slip off the skins.

Beetroot Soup with Chive Cream

recipe by:Darina Allen

A deliciously silky soup with a rich, vibrant colour – it also freezes brilliantly.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 900g beetroot

• 25g butter

• 225g onions

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1.2 litres homemade chicken or vegetable stock approx.

• 125ml creamy milk

• For the chive cream

• 125ml sour cream or crème fraiche

• finely chopped chives

Method

1. Wash the beetroot carefully under a cold tap. Don't scrub, simply rub off the clay with your fingers. You won't want to damage the skin or cut off the top or tails because it will 'bleed' in the cooking. Put the beetroot into cold water, and simmer covered for anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size and age.

2. Meanwhile chop the onions, sweat carefully and gently in the butter until they are cooked. The beetroot is cooked when the skins will rub off easily.

3. Peel all the beetroot and remove the stalks. Chop the beetroot and add to the onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put into a liquidiser with the hot chicken stock. Liquidise until quite smooth. *Reheat, add some creamy milk, taste and adjust the seasoning, it may be necessary to add a little more stock or creamy milk.

4. Serve garnished with little swirls of sour cream and a sprinkling of finely chopped chives.

5. Watchpoint: Careful not to damage the beetroot during preparation or they will bleed

Smoky Aubergine Dip – Moutabal

recipe by:Darina Allen

Charring the aubergines over a gas flame or charcoal grill gives the dip a distinctive smoky flavour. Be careful not to overdo the tahini; you only need a little to bring out the flavour of the aubergines.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines (approx. 650g)

• 50g tahini paste

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

• sea salt

• pitta bread, to serve

Method

1. Char the aubergines directly over a gas flame, using tongs, until the flesh is really soft and tender and the peel is black and charred. Peel carefully and discard the skins. Leave the aubergines to cool to room temperature.

2. Finely chop the aubergine flesh and place in a bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste and mix well. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, if serving immediately. Otherwise, put into a sterilised jar/jars, cover with a layer of extra virgin olive oil and the lid. Refrigerate until needed.

3. Serve with pitta bread. Eat alone or as part of a Middle Eastern mezze.

Rachel’s Zucchini and Walnut Bread

recipe by:Darina Allen

We’ve got several recipes for zucchini/courgette bread but Rachel says this version originally given to her by an American friend is the favourite. First published in Rachel Allen’s book ‘Bake’.

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 400g plain flour

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• pinch of salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 75g walnuts, chopped

• 300g caster sugar

• 100g Demerara sugar

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 200ml sunflower oil

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 380g zucchini grated (with skin left on)

• 50g chopped walnuts for scattering on top of the breads

Method

1. Line 2 loaf tins (13 x 23cm) with parchment paper.

2. Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2.

3. In a large bowl, sift in the flour, the bicarbonate of soda and the baking powder then mix in the salt, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the ground cloves and the chopped walnuts. Add the caster sugar and the Demerara sugar and stir well to mix.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the oil and the vanilla extract. Grate the whole unpeeled zucchini then add into the eggs and oil and mix well until combined.

5. Divide the mixture between the two prepared loaf tins. Scatter the remaining 50g (2oz) walnuts over the top of each zucchini bread.

6. Bake in the oven for 1 - 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve, sliced on its own or toasted and buttered.

Hot Tips

Listowel Food Fair, November 9 – 13, 2023

Don’t miss Listowel Food Fair which is one of the longest and celebrated food festivals that increases awareness for the range and quality of Irish food products all over Kerry. Over the past 25 years, the event has grown in prestige and is now firmly established as one of the premier food fairs on the Irish calendar. This year, Listowel Food Fair is running in conjunction with Taste the Island.

For more information, see listowelfoodfair.ie

 

Book of the Week – ‘How to Butter Toast’

Super excited to get a copy of Tara Wigley’s (Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni and Ottolenghi’s long-time collaborator ‘How to Butter Toast’ published by Pavilion, a recipe-less, recipe-ish collection of rhymes that will entertain and entertain and answer many of your kitchen conundrums.

‘How long should I boil an egg? What is the best way to crush garlic? How do I make mayonnaise, a martini or the perfect cup of tea?’

To find out more about Tara, seek her out on Instagram @Tara.wigley