October - crunchy leaves and golden pumpkins

October

And just like that we have fallen into autumn. The trees and hedges are turning golden and the leaves are starting to crunch underfoot. The nights are drawing in, our Aga is back on and I’m ready to dig out my wooly socks and light the wood burner.

October isn’t just about apple bobbing and trick or treating, out on the farm it’s all about planning for 2026. This is the time when we gather all of our sheep in for their MOT.

We start with the lambs, who by now have weaned themselves, we wean naturally therefore minimising stress to the lambs and ewes. The lambs are checked to ensure that they are in rude health and growing well; we don’t produce lamb so these chaps will stay with us until they are 18months to 2 years old - aka Hogget. Hogget, in my opinion, is a much more delicious product than lamb, it is still incredibly tender, and out on the diverse Exmoor ground our hoggets never run to fat so its a lean meat, simply bursting with flavour and grass-fed nutrients but without the gamey strength of mutton. If you haven’t tried it, I urge you to.

The rams will follow; next month they have to earn their keep, so beforehand we will check their weight amongst other things. Tupping (or mating) time is hard work for the boys and they will expend a lot of energy as they service their ladies, they will get a little extra feed during tupping to keep them strong and ever-ready for action.

Finally we check the ewes over - teeth, teets, weight and feet, this is the point where I will decide who to breed from next year. I have a closed flock, which means that I don’t buy in replacements when the ewes are no longer fit and strong to breed, I bring their daughters / granddaughters into my breeding flock. I know this year that I have to lose a couple from the original sheep I bought in our first year on the farm, its going to be a hard and tearful job to say goodbye to them at the market.

Although the signs are already there that we are heading into winter, planning for spring brings a warm glow of anticipation, it will be hard work through winter, it always is, but the payback is spring and lambing time.

Brown butter pumpkin perfection

I couldn’t write a recipe for October that didn’t feature a pumpkin! I was tempted to give you my famous pumpkin and salted bitter chocolate tart recipe, but I’ve chosen a savoury recipe due to the sugar-rush madness of October 31st. This recipe is perfect with any pumpkin, but crown prince is my favourite. You can also use up any leftover pumpkin from carving your lanterns, reducing your food waste.

In all its autumnal, savoury yumminess this month’s recipe is a confit leek and warm pumpkin salad. Perfect with a hogget chop, or on its own as a very delicious plant-based main.

Ingredients for 2

One small pumpkin, sliced into hearty wedges

1 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds

200g pumpkin roughly diced (perfect for using your leftovers from carving)

400ml Vegetable stock

2 garlic cloves

2 leeks, well washed and sliced into inch thick rounds

1 jar / can chickpeas (I don’t think you can beat Bold Beans queen chickpeas)

Pink radicchio or red chicory

2 stems of cavalo nero or kale

Plenty of butter

Olive oil

2 tbsp Sherry vinegar

Sprig of Thyme, or winter savoury

In a large frying pan add 1 tbsp olive oil and 100g of butter, once melted, add the pumpkin and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes on a medium heat, until the pumpkin wedges are tender and autumnally golden, beware the foamy brown butter will smell incredible.

Remove the pumpkin and set aside to rest. Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with the sherry vinegar, throw in the drained chickpeas and herbs. Warm the chickpeas through.

Tightly pack the leek rounds into a high sided tin, cover with oil and then tin foil and bake until melting, around 45 minutes (depending on the fatness of your leek) at 180 degrees C.

For the silkiest pumpkin puree, gently cook the diced pumpkin in the stock with the aded garlic until tender. Blend the pumpkin and garlic with some of the cooking stock until velvet smooth.

Remove the stalks from the cavalo nero, brush with olive oil and bake in the oven with the leeks until shiny and super crispy ,season with salt after cooking.

Build your super pumpkin salad by starting with the puree as a base, and add layer after later of confit leeks, brown butter roasted pumpkin, and chickpeas. Add some brightness and bitterness with the pink radicchio and finally top with the crispy cavalo nero, pumpkin seeds and some dried chilli flakes for heat. Spoon over some of the sherry vinegar and brown butter dressing and enjoy with a glass of Montepulciano while watching the leaves fall from the trees.