A Seasonal Produce Guide for Autumn Cooking

Autumn is the most generous season on the vegetable calendar and the easiest to cook badly. Everything arrives at once, most of it is starchy, and it is very tempting to roast the lot at 200°C and hope for the best.

Squash and pumpkin want dry heat and time. Halve them, scoop the seeds, and roast cut-side down until the flesh collapses. Brassicas want the opposite: fierce heat, very little of it, and a squeeze of acid at the end to keep them bright.

Apples, pears and plums are all at their peak, and all three are better cooked with a little salt than with more sugar. Root vegetables sweeten in storage, so a parsnip bought in November needs less honey than one bought in September.

Buy what looks heavy for its size, cook it within the week, and let the season do the seasoning.