Your guide to what to eat now

Find out what is in season now and some recipes to make the most it.

Seasonal and sustainable eating is at the heart of everything we do at River Cottage. If you shop and cook in harmony with the seasons you will get immeasurably more pleasure and satisfaction from your food. To help you enjoy the best of the season, here is your essential guide of what to eat, cook and forage for a delicious autumn. If you grow your own produce you can hardly fail to appreciate the seasons and their impact on the kitchen. But when you visit your local supermarket, the shelves are stacked high with the same fruit and vegetables year-round and you're presented with 'a permanent global summertime'. But food that is local and seasonal will always be far better. Home-grown vegetables that are not long picked will have lost none of their goodness and flavour to the stress of travel and the natural process of ageing. Understanding the seasons brings a sense of structure, rhythm and rightness to your shopping and cooking. You'll enjoy a rich variety of food and with every passing season, you'll welcome new ingredients and flavours. IN SEASON THIS MONTH: AUBERGINE | BEANS | BEETROOT | CHICORY | CHILLIES | COURGETTE | ENDIVE | FENNEL | KALE | POTATOES | RED CABBAGE | SQUASH | SWEETCORN | TOMATOES | WHITE CABBAGE | BLACKCURRANT | DAMSON | QUINCE | ELDERBERRIES | ROSEHIPS   CLICK FOR THE RIVER COTTAGE SEASONAL CALENDAR  If you would like some ideas of how to make the most of what is in season, head to rivercottage.net/recipes and check out the hundreds of recipes available. Below are just a couple of the delights on offer.  October is a great month for mushrooms and is also the beginning of the brassica season. This comforting dish does require a little bit of extra preparation but results in something truly warming and delicious. GET THE RECIPE Squash is a staple of River Cottage menus throughout the autumn and winter. With such a wondrous variety to choose from and satisfying taste, they are a great foundation to many a meal. Here squash is paired with crisp, nutty, fried Puy lentils, and complements the lentils beautifully.  GET THE RECIPE The ultimate in seasonal eating is to include wild food that you've foraged in your diet. If you know where to look, your efforts will be richly rewarded with a multitude of ingredients to both eat and drink. But please forage safely and responsibly. If you would like to learn more about foraging check out our courses.   WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS MONTH: WALNUTS | DAMSONS | HAZELNUTS | MUSSELS | BEECH NUTS | SWEET CHESTNUTS | ROSEHIPS | SLOES | OYSTER MUSHROOMS | CHICKWEED | WINTER CHANETEREELS | HAWTHORN COWBERRY | WOOD SORREL  To enjoy seasonal eating at its best, join us for a River Cottage Dining Experience. All the food we serve is seasonal, local and sustainably sourced. Our chefs create new menus daily to celebrate what has been picked, caught or foraged that day. And if the food hasn't been produced on the farm, it will come from one of the fantastic local growers and artisan producers who we work closely with.    BOOK NOW Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.