Plant & Eat With The Seasons - Autumn

With an ethos that strongly supports the sourcing and eating of the seasons, here at The Montagu Arms Hotel, it’s time to explore what November offers our Terrace Restaurant’s kitchen, and despite the falling leaves and temperature drop, we are also celebrating autumn, as the fine growing season it is.

So, Barry, what has autumn had in store for the gardens so far?

“October saw the harvesting of our kale (Cavolo Nero), other varieties of Kale, as well as our leeks and various types of cabbage.

We also lifted the last of the carrots and cut the remainder of the cabbages.

We regularly need to cut the salad leaves including; lettuce and various mustard greens and corn salad, which are grown in a tunnel in Pennington. We will be planting more soon, from hardwood cuttings that will be grown in prepared beds outside, which is a great way for us to increase our range of shrubs and it’s also the most economical way to increase our stock for the garden.”

What has November got in store for you and the garden?

“November is the time to sow broad beans for The Terrace’s Kitchen Garden, and we are very keen to plant more bee-friendly plants. We are preparing to plant various biennials which will give us a beautiful variety of colours in spring, these are also beneficial for bees and other pollinating insects. These will include: Wallflowers, Myosotis, Foxgloves, Lunaria (Honesty), and Sweet William, which makes for a lovely cut flower – we’ll be growing as much of these as we can in the garden.”

Eat with the season - November

You may know how passionately we feel, at The Montagu Arms Hotel and the Terrace Restaurant, about welcoming every seasonal change to our award-winning menus, with our very own Head Chef Matthew Tomkinson always embracing the delicious freshness, inspiration and reassurance of sustainability that eating the season brings, but what can we do to support the season at home?

Nothing says “autumn” like delicious soups, succulent roasts and comforting desserts, so here are just a few of the fruits and vegetables that are in season now, and even a recipe from Matthew Tomkinson himself, so we can all get cooking with the beautiful autumn ingredients that’s available now…

In season now:

• Butternut Squash
• Artichoke
• Pumpkin
• Kale
• Parsnips
• Leeks
• Beetroot
• Quince
• Pomegranate
• Apples
• Cranberries

Eat the seasons at home:

Beef with Jerusalem artichoke gratin

Ingredients

• Hatchet Herd Dexter
• 1 short fillet of Dexter beef, tail end removed
• 200g of rainbow chard, washed and picked
• 20g of butter
• salt
• pepper
• Artichoke gratin
• 100g of smoked bacon, boiled and diced
• 25g of butter
• 200g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and sliced
• 85ml of double cream
• 85ml of milk
• salt
• pepper
• 40g of grated Parmesan
• 1/2 chopped chive, finely

To plate

• 85ml of beef stock, reduced
• 20ml of Madeira

Method

1. To make the artichoke gratin, fry the bacon cubes in the butter until crispy. Drain and set aside
2. Place the artichokes in a small saucepan with the cream and milk, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until tender but still holding their shape. Drain the artichokes and put the liquid back onto the stove to reduce. When creamy, add the artichokes and bacon and season
3. Divide this mixture between four small heatproof pots or ramekins and top with the cheese and a sprinkling of chives, and when ready place under the grill and cook until golden
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas mark 8. Season and seal the beef in a hot, oven-proof pan, then place in the oven until cooked to your liking (8 -10 mins will give medium rare). Allow to rest and cut into 4 generous portions
5. While the beef rests, grill the gratins and sauté the chard in the butter until wilted and tender. Season and set aside
6. Place the chard onto a warm plate and top with a piece of the beef. Season the cut surface of the meat and place a gratin alongside. Warm through the beef jus and add the Madeira, then spoon over and serve.