Autumnal cooking

and stuffed baby cabbage with pork cheek

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What a joy to see all the fall produce appear on farmers’ market stalls! Ugly and knobbly but oh-so-fragrant celery roots (or should I call them celeriac?), the underestimated Jerusalem artichokes, leeks—thin or thick—their pale greenish white merging into soft green, all sorts of kale, curly or smooth, purple or dark green, Swiss chard with either colourful stems or my favourite thick white stems, spinach with crisp yet tender leaves and roots begging to be braised in olive oil, vibrant Fuji persimmons with their deep orange hue and sweet flesh, apples and pears of varying tartness, shapes, and colours, and the ever-present winter staple, cabbage.

There’s an abundance of salad greens; what a sight! A whole array of lettuce: oak leaf, romaine, butterhead, and Chinese, along with the newer additions of mizuna and similar types, baby spinach, mesclun mustard, arugula, and cress. Then there are the bitters: endive, frisée, radicchio, and, of course, escarole. Late autumn is also an ideal time for foraging. Like in spring, there’s a wide selection of edible wild greens before the real cold kicks in. And then, of course, the foraging for wild mushrooms—always a great idea but only if you’re well-versed in identifying edible varieties. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. So, I’d never recommend mushroom foraging alone—I don’t do it myself, but I enjoy the rewards of those who are in the know.

I must admit, the late autumn-early winter market stalls are my favourite. A splendid display for summer-weary eyes. Personally, I find summer produce a bit boring. I know, you’d probably argue for tomatoes. Yes, you’re right about those, but what else? Just aubergines and zucchini; end of story. Spring is another peak for produce, but not summer—at least not in my strongly held opinion.

Autumnal produce has my mouth watering and my taste buds buzzing with endless possibilities and the comfort of old favourites. This week at the farmers’ market, I could barely contain my excitement when I discovered tiny baby cabbages. They weren’t even properly formed but rather the small offshoots on the sides. There were also garlic chives, the tiniest spring onions, and slim leeks. I pictured them all coming together in a dish: stuffed cabbage with lots of herbs and pork mince—but not the kind from the butcher. I’d already ordered pork cheeks, so I imagined grinding some for a coarse mince at home to use in my cabbage stuffing.

On my way out of the market, I stumbled upon a stall selling the last of their green tomatoes. I could already taste the subtle tartness they’d bring to my stuffed cabbage. Into my wheeled shopping trolley they went.

I set about cooking this dish I had envisioned a few days later, on Monday. The cabbages, not fully formed, loosened as I blanched them, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me from stuffing them. And the green tomatoes, slightly softened in colour but still tart, settled at the bottom of my pot. The final result, while not as visually striking as I’d imagined, was everything I’d hoped for: tart, rich, fragrant, and delicious.