Nigel Slater

Kitchen diary: roast onions and spinach polenta

Halloween calls for robust ingredients that will glow on your hob

Midweek treat: poached apples, maple syrup

A cool and refreshing dessert, and surprisingly versatile

Slow cooks, braises and a soothing broth

Shorter days and a nip in the air mean it’s time to head back to the kitchen and make cosy, comforting meals

Kitchen diary: an indulgent roast pheasant

Sometimes you feel the need for a lunch of sweet, rich meat and vegetables

Midweek treat: pear and chocolate crumble

Sumptuous ripe pears meet dark chocolate under a crunchy crumble

Kitchen diary: sweet tarts for cold days

The drop in temperature creates an urge to turn up the oven and start baking

Midweek dinner: beetroot and brown lentils

A warming, spicy and aromatic autumn lentil dish

Kitchen diary: celebrate apple season with puff pastry dumplings

English apples and stilton cheese are one of autumn’s unbeatable flavour combinations

Kitchen diary: haricot beans and sausages

Bonfire Night is made for bangers and toffee apples

Midweek dinner: baked tomatoes, anchovy, basil

Served sizzling hot from the oven, this tomato dish sings with herby flavours and anchovy tang

Kitchen diary: time for a sweet, aromatic green bean dal

The last of late summer’s green beans take on a little spicy warmth in a comforting dish to welcome autumn

Midweek treat: Apples, Stichelton and berries

Fruit, nuts and cheese combine to sumptuous effect

Tomatoes, courgettes and beetroot with an autumn spin

There is still time to savour the last of summer’s bounty, as we move gently into autumn flavours

Kitchen diary: roast duck meets late-summer figs

The luxurious soft fruits add succulent sweet contrast to savoury dishes

Midweek dinner: prawns, watermelon and lime

A sizzling seafood dish with a herbs and summer fruits accent

Kitchen diary: a glorious blackcurrant meringue sundae

Sundaes of many kinds make the most voluptuous use of late-summer soft fruits

Choux buns filled with peaches and cream

These light, delectable little buns are among the easiest pastries to make

Midweek dinner: roast peppers, burrata, chillies

A herby, spicy vegetarian treat, with soft cheese oozing out of the red peppers