End October with Rabbit

Rabbit is rapidly falling back into favour with people as more and more chefs choose this delicate meat over chicken and pork. It is a sustainable meat and while we may feel a bit bad eating thumper, this is one meat that is far more ethically sound than almost any other form. As part of the 'game' group, it is currently in season.

Thankfully not available in supermarkets, this is one meat you want a good butcher to look at. Miximatosis almost wiped out UK populations in the 1980’s and this is when rabbit fell out of favour. A horrific disease, rabbit cannot be eaten if it is tainted with this killer. For this reason, a qualified butcher must look at the rabbit, especially at it’s liver, to make sure there are no signs of the disease. They can then prepare the healthy meat for selling.

This is also a meat that is not taken to an abattoir, and is killed in the most humane way possible – by the hunter upon being caught. A swift and clean kill. For this reason, rabbits will and should never be sold by the supermarket.

How to cook
One of the best ways to cook rabbit is to casserole – or a one pot meal if you like.

1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 leek, 12 prunes, knob butter, 1 pint chicken stock, 1 glass white wine, bouquet garni.
Bouquet garni can be any 3-4 herbs, usually tied together with string or placed in a muslin bag. For this particular dish, a sprig of thyme, sage and a bay leaf would work.

Brown off rabbit in butter in your casserole pot/dish. Add leek, onion, carrot, wine, stock and bouquet garni, cook for a ½ hour. Add the prunes. Cook for a further hour. Serve with potatoes.

For more recipes, check out the BBC Food page

Sage, pumpkin and sausage casserole!

As the nights draw in and the temperatures start to plummet, we start to think of winter warmers that won't involve too much preparation. Casseroles fill this role. Easy to prepare and you barely need to keep an eye on them, they are perfect for autumn and winter.

Pumpkin is now in season and a herb many people shy from can go really well with this autumnal veg is sage. Add in some sausages and you have a hearty, tasty meal. You can, of course, substitue the sausage for other vegetables if you are vegetarian.

Click on the link here for Matt Tebbutts wonderful recipe!

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

October

Firstly, I must apologise for the delay in putting something up. It has been one of those years – death, car accidents, weddings etc. A real roller coaster. Sincere apologies for not taking some time to write a few items for my blog.

Onwards and upwards…

October is a festive month for many and a real feast for seasonal foods. It is the month of game and root vegetables, as well as beer :D
The seasonal foods include:

Celeriac
Pumpkin
Wild Mushrooms
Apples
Truffles
Swede
Cabbage
Medlars
Kale
Grouse (and other poultry such as pheasant, partridge)
Venison
Scallops (also oysters, mussels, winkles)
Sea Bass
Berries are still in season (particularly sloe but you may be lucky enough to get raspberries too)
Swiss Chard
Leeks
Sweet Potatoes

Butternut squash is heading out of season, as are:

Figs
Pears
Globe Artichokes
Mackerel
Plums etc.

There are a few other squashes that hang around – you’ll see them on market stalls and in supermarkets/greengrocers. As this year has been a very odd one, with hot and cold patches where they shouldn’t be, meteorologically speaking :D, some fruit/veg has lasted better than others, and some haven’t yet shown their heads. In Scotland, tomatoes have had a really bad year, some plants yielding few, if any.

A few orange varieties have started to appear again, so you know Hallowe’en is nearby.

As the wheat and barley is cut in mid Sept, I often think of October as the month for baking more than any other month. Why not try baking some fresh bread for yourself, no cheating with a bread-maker :D