What's in Season? October

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"

Scott Fitzgerald

Can you feel it in the air? The shift from balmy Summer to cool, crisp Autumn often brings with it a whole new energy and a whole new world of golden, orange and red. Whilst some of us crave the introverted sense of comfort this time of year can bring, others find the descent into darker months challenging to deal with. 

Whether you’re part of the group that looks forward to Autumn or dreads it, there are plenty of ways to embrace the season to support our health and wellbeing. Traditional rituals such as the Autumn Equinox, Harvest Festival (known within Paganism as ‘Home Harvest’) and Samhain all encourage us to gather together and support each other through these colder months. Embracing what nature has to offer us this time of year is also a powerful way to connect to our roots and innate human-ness. 

Of course, food is often the central aspect of rituals and celebrations, and October provides us with foods that help ground, strengthen and calm us, as well as supporting immunity and mood – essential through seasons that may be more emotionally and mentally challenging. If we’re willing to receive, nature is always giving us what we need, so read on to find out what’s on offer this October. 

Rocket

The last leaves of Rocket are available at the beginning of October, supporting digestive health and liver function. Rocket is a ‘bitter green’ which helps stimulate digestive juices and bile production, so is perfect for giving our detoxification systems a little boost. Consuming a handful of rocket before a meal is a useful way to improve digestion and assimilation of nutrients, particularly if you’re enjoying fats or proteins like our grass fed Beef Ribeye Steaks. Rocket also supports heart health by enhancing circulation and reducing blood pressure, and contains anti-inflammatory properties too. 

Our favourite way to use rocket: As a starter salad, drizzled with olive oil and vinegar to boost digestion. 

Celery

Munching on a stick of celery is a great way to curb cravings, but more importantly, crunchy veg like this help to calm the nervous system. When we eat crunchy foods, this stimulates the Vagus Nerve – a long cranial nerve running from the brain to the gut – helping us tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, or a state of ‘rest and digest’. If you’re feeling anxious, try adding more crunchy foods like celery to your snacks or meals to help calm your nervous system, as well as providing minerals like potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium and phosphorus, all needed for bone health. 

Our favourite way to use celery: Keep it cool and fresh for extra crunch, paired with our raw cow’s cheese and seeded heritage wheat sourdough.  

Beetroot 

Earthy, sweet and extremely nutrient-dense, beetroot is a grounding root veg that has the special ability to enhance blood flow throughout the body. Its high levels of nitrate aid in blood vessel dilation, which can directly benefit heart health, brain function and fertility, as fresh blood is encouraged to flow to these vital places. Beetroot, whether cooked, consumed raw or juiced, can also boost your workout capacity and recovery, thanks to its effects on circulation. It also supports lowered blood pressure and gut health too. Research shows that the betalain compounds in beetroot may influence the gut microbiome, leading to the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which strengthen the gut barrier and aid in healthy digestion. 

Our favourite way to use beetroot: Roast a tray of chopped carrot, beetroot and fresh rosemary to welcome yourself into the cooler, cosy seasons. 

Bok Choi

Available until the end of October, bok choi supports immunity by providing us with vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and supports collagen production too. Bok choi also contains selenium, which stimulates T-cells to fight off infections, and beta carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A to support immunity fertility and vision. Wonderful cooked into a stir fry, bok choi is high in fibre to support healthy digestion and elimination, and is a great source of hormone-balancing sulforaphane too. 

Our favourite way to use Bok Choi: Add the leaves towards the end of cooking time when you’re rustling up a stir fry with strips of our Grass Fed Pasture Raised Fillet Steak.  

Leeks

High in polyphenols, leeks support immunity through Autumn by protecting cells from damage and supporting the function of the immune system. They’re high in inulin too; a prebiotic that supports gut health (and since around 80% of our immune system is found in the gut, it’s worth protecting!). Inulin also helps strengthen the gut wall, potentially helping heal issues such as ‘leaky gut’, which can contribute to skin issues, allergies, brain fog, bloating and more. 

Our favourite way to use leeks: Finely chop, fry in our Traditional Farmhouse Butter and serve alongside our Pasture Raised Heritage Pork Belly Ribs.

Cabbage

Humble and an Autumn staple, cabbage actually has a lot more benefits that it may seem. High in fibre to support digestion and elimination, cabbage is also a wonderful source of l-glutamine, an amino acid that supports healing of the gut wall. Remember that a huge percentage of our immune system is located in the gut, and that leaky gut can lead to other common symptoms such as allergies, skin issues and bloating, so it’s worth investing in these simple gut-healing foods as often as you can. Cabbage is high in gut-supporting prebiotics too, as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals.

Our favourite way to use cabbage: You can juice cabbage to use as a traditional home remedy for inflammation of the digestive tract, but if you want a simpler way to consume it, try thinly slicing and adding to a stir fry, or making a delicious coleslaw. You’ll also find cabbage packed into our immune and gut supporting sauerkrauts, available in different flavours. 

Fennel

Especially beneficial for bloating or indigestion, fennel is soothing and helps calm gut distress. High in vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene, fresh fennel is a nutritional powerhouse that also supports heart health and cholesterol levels. Pulled straight from our mineral-rich soil, fresh fennel can be roasted, fried, or served with comforting pasta dishes on cold evenings. 

Our favourite way to use fennel: Fennel becomes even more delicious when simply roasted. Chop in half, toss with tallow or ghee, add a big pinch of salt and roast at 190C for around 20-25 minutes. 

Squash

You know Autumn has well and truly arrived when squash is on the menu. Hearty and comforting, squash is thought of as a food that nourishes our ‘Spleen Qi’ according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Spleen Qi is all about our ability to absorb and assimilate nutrients, and transform those nutrients into energy, especially for the muscles and brain. When cooked well – often roasted or whizzed into a smooth soup – squash is very easy to digest and is a great source of beta carotene for immunity. Squash is high in essential vitamins for Autumn health, especially vitamin B6, which is known to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, which can become more apparent in Autumn and Winter. 

Our favourite way to use squash: Slice in half, scoop out the seeds and roast. Then add the flesh to a large pot along with stock, leek and our bay leaves. Simmer, then blend and you’ve got yourself a warming, satisfying and mood-supporting Autumn soup. 

Swede

Another humble veg that packs more punch than you may realise; swede also contains inulin – much like leek - which feeds good gut bacteria and promotes a healthy microbiome. Swede is high in those familiar immune-supporting nutrients potassium and vitamin C, and it’s mineral-rich too, containing calcium, magnesium, and zinc. The glucosinolates and carotenoids found in swede aid in reducing inflammation, whilst its phytonutrients support liver detoxification. Swede is also a great source of vitamin B6 to give your mood a helping hand. 

Our favourite way to use swede: Cook up a warming, grounding cauliflower, swede and turnip curry, making the most of Autumn veg. Add anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger and coriander for an extra health boost. 

Turnips

Before pumpkins became the go-to Halloween veg, in the UK we would have carved ghoulish faces into turnips to scare away evil spirits around Samhain. At this time of year, it was (and still is) believed that the veil between the living and spirit worlds was thinnest, so people hollowed out root veg and carved faces as protection. As well as perhaps providing spiritual protection, turnips also protect our health in Autumn by providing vitamins C, K, beta carotene, and minerals calcium, potassium and manganese (great for bone health). They aid in reducing inflammation, and their folate content can help with detoxification and brain function too. 

Our favourite way to use turnips: Other than carving, turnips can be used in a variety of ways, such as roasting and braising. Turnips work well in warming stews and pies, and they’re delicious cooked in our Traditional Farmhouse Butter. 

Join us next month to find out what’s on offer in November, and how to make the most of our seasonal harvest