Crispy air, crunchy leaves. Hot sun, still wind. Autumn is unquestionably the best season to be in Victoria. The time of year when I feel my wardrobe can truly come into its own. Shorts and a jumper, jeans and t-shirt, you can’t go wrong. Nothing is packed away, the floor is a puddle of colourful textured fabrics; it’s so much fun. Chores are off the cards for the month of April, it’s sunshine and cold cheeked strolls only.

I don’t really think so much about food at this time of year. Not in “bugger off food!” kind of way, more so that I don’t need to think about what I’m going to cook because the weather is either overly hot or cold. Totally enamoured by being outside in the fresh green grass, food becomes fuel and less of a pass time. A quick slice of toast in the morning with cold caramelised roast pumpkin from the night before squished on top. Lunch is a slice of aged cheddar with a big dollop of green tomato chutney on top — too busy pottering for a proper lunch, cheese slice snacks will have to do. Dinner is the last of summers cavolo nero with butter beans, whatever herbs I can grab with a snowy covering of parm; cheeky hot sauce also. It never gets really anymore complicated than that.

But wait there’s more! On that one day a week when it is grey and cold, all the indoor activities start coming back into play. Painting, knitting, building couches and cooking things that take tiiiiiiiiiiime. A thing that I look out for almost every time I go to a second hand store is yarn, all colours, all textures. I hoard the yarn and then when I’m ready to start a new project I wind my own giant ball of wool that’s all different colours and textures. Not only is this a cheaper and much more sustainable way to buy yarn, your knitting projects become incredibly unique and varied. 

*a big sigh out* I really just love it.

This season on the farm we’re planting 

• Brussel sprouts

• Garlic

• Brassicas — Brocoli, cauliflower & cime di rapa

• Coriander 

• Parsley

• Leeks

• Beetroot

The ladies update: The chooks have not been laying for over a month now. The poor things are seeming to really struggle with the change in weather. We have changed their feed to a more seed based mix and have clipped their wings so that they can wonder around the orchid during the day collecting bugs and worms. Hopefully some of them will lay over the winter months, otherwise I think I’ll be out sourcing my eggs until spring. 

Recipe

Pumpkin toast w/ crispy bits

Roast pumpkin really has been sent from the heavens. All you need is a hot oven, salt, pepper and olive oil, the pumpkin will do the rest. 

you’ll need

• How ever big of a pumpkin you like (my preference is to use a whole Kent pumpkin, you can keep the leftovers for soup or salads.)

• The seeds from your pumpkin

• Good olive oil

• Cumin

• Smokey paprika

• Fennel seeds

• Nigella seeds

..if you can’t be bothered buying or finding all these spices, just pick one or grab a spice blend it’ll still be yummy…