Kathy Slack, cook, author of From the Veg Patch and veg grower extraordinaire, has taken time out from tending her vegetable patch to share her wisdom and expertise on what autumn can provide for our table, spoiling us with a delicious rainbow chard recipe, perfect pairings for curly kale, and interesting ways to use borlotti beans that we can assure you, are not to be missed. So, without further ado, over to Kathy…

“Nature always had a menu plan. Just as the dew starts to settle, the days get shorter and the leaves turn, she offers up hearty crops that lend themselves to stews and roasts to keep us warm as we hunker down by the fire.
 
Come autumn, we’re often told that the fun is over. It’s time to tidy up the kitchen garden, gather the spent crops, take down the bean canes, wash out the pots and generally shut down for winter.
 
But that couldn’t be further from the truth as far as the vegetables are concerned. (The tidying up, I’m afraid, still needs to be done though.) The tomatoes and courgettes of summer may be over, but in their place is an equally abundant and colourful harvest of pumpkins, kale, cabbages, kohlrabi, turnips and beetroots, plus the promise of leeks, sprouts and bitter winter leaves like radicchio still to come. If you have space to grow under cover - a cold frame, greenhouse or polytunnel (lucky you) - then hardier varieties of lettuce and many herbs will grow happily for you well into November.
 
No, it’s not time to hibernate yet. But it is a bit nippy. Thankfully, there’s plenty of potential for warming meals in this autumn bounty. For the autumn edition, though, I want to celebrate three particular beauties, all available on the Lower Ground Floor of Fortnum’s Piccadilly store: rainbow chard, curly kale, and borlotti beans. Here are some ways to put them at the centre of your plate this autumn.”

Chard, Orange and

Almond Pappardelle

Serves 2
 
Ingredients
100g blanched almonds
200g dried egg pappardelle
300g whole chard leaves with stalks, washed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
1 small orange, zest
Grated Parmesan, to serve 

Recipe

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. 
 
STEP 2
Spread the almonds out on a baking tray, then roast for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven then roughly chop.
 
STEP 3
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 6–7 minutes, or until al dente. 
 
STEP 4
Meanwhile, separate the chard stems from the leaves. Finely chop the chard stems and, separately, chop the leaves into strips by bunching them up together into a fat cigar and cutting across it to make ribbons. 
 
STEP 5
Warm the olive oil in a broad, deep frying pan over a low heat.  Add the garlic, chilli and chard stems for 2–3 minutes, taking care the garlic doesn’t brown. 
 
STEP 6
Now add the chard leaf ribbons and cook for 3-4 minutes until just wilted.
 
STEP 7
When the pasta is ready, use tongs to lift it straight from the water into the chard pan, cooking water still clinging to the ribbons. 
 
STEP 8
Add the almonds and orange zest to the pasta and season generously. Muddle everything together for a minute or two, adding a splash of the pasta water to help it come together if necessary. 
 
STEP 9
Divide the tangle of pasta between two serving plates, top with grated Parmesan and serve immediately. 

Perfect Pairings for Curly Kale

Curly kale is especially adaptable, welcoming of all sorts of flavours. It can be fresh and lemony bright on crisp days, or savoury and umami-rich when the mizzle sets in.

Here are some classic flavour combinations to inspire your kale cooking:

Goat’s cheese:
Take the baby kale leaves from the middle of the plant. Toss them in olive oil and lemon juice to soften them a little then toss with soft, tangy goat’s cheese and chopped fruit and nuts - Fortnum’s Fruit and Nut Boats are ideal.
 
Lemon:
Wash and tear some curly kale leaves (stalks removed) and pat dry. Toss in oil and Fortnum’s Herb and Lemon Rub then arrange in a single layer on a tray and roast at 190C for 8-10 minutes, checking regularly, until crispy. Great as a snack or for a crunchy topping to salads and soups. 
 
Nuts:
Walnuts have an iron-y taste that complements the cabbage bitterness of kale, but all nuts love kale. This same bitterness loves chilli too so try wilted kale sprinkled with Fortnum’s Garlic and Chilli Mixed Nuts as an easy side dish. 
 
Salty Umami:
A salty, umami hit brings the best out of any brassica, kale included. This could be a dab of anchovy paste as you wilt it, or a few chunks of pancetta, or a grating of cheddar. For bacon and cheddar combined in salty, umami heaven, try mixing wilted kale with Potted Elegant Welsh Rarebit then slathering on bread and grill until bubbling and golden.