As the evenings grow cooler and the leaves start to turn, my kitchen becomes my favourite place to be – the warmth of the oven, the scent of spices, and the simple joy of comfort food bubbling away.
This week in In the Den Kitchen, I’m sharing a few autumn staples that feel like a warm hug – nostalgic, homely, and made for sharing.
First up is my Mum’s pumpkin soup. This soup is pure comfort – a recipe handed down from my mum, with a little twist I added along the way: roasted veggies.
Annette’s Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 large pumpkin any variety
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 potatoes peeled
- butter about 1 tablespoon
- 2-3 cups chicken stock use 2 cups for thicker soup
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Skin and chop pumpkin and potatoes into chunks.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan, add vegetables & onion and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add stock, orange juice, curry powder, and nutmeg (if used). Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
- Drain, keeping the liquid, then mash or blend until smooth, gradually adding liquid for your desired consistency.
- Warm through and serve with a swirl of cream.
The next recipe I’m sharing is something Mum liked to make if we were having family or friends round for lunch. It feeds a few and if you’re only feeding a family of 4, there’s usually leftovers for lunch the next day. You can also halve the recipe if you want to quite successfully.
Serve it with a fresh garden salad.
This recipe uses British scones not US ones. Here’s a great recipe if you don’t have your own, usually passed down through the family.
Crusted Chicken Noble
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 whole cooked chickens see note 1
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
- 85 g butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 28 g plain flour
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/3 cup dry white wine see note 2
- 2 carrots cooked & diced
- 1 cup peas cooked
- 1/4 cup red capsicum diced
- 220 g tin mushrooms in butter sauce see note 3
- salt to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 batch uncooked scones
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C (fan forced)
- Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion & cook until soft & golden.
- Add flour & stir until smooth.
- Gradually stir in stock, bring to the boil, thicken then simmer 2-3 minutes
- Remove from heat, add all other ingredients. Season with salt & pepper. Reheat gently.
- Pour into casserole dish and top with uncooked scones.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until scones are cooked and golden.
Notes
Finally a recipe that’s not Mum’s but one I’m sure she would probably have cooked a variation of at some time – Eve’s pudding. Since it’s not one of my personal family recipes, I’ll just be sharing the link to the site where I found it.
Eve’s Pudding (image and recipe) from Scottish Scran
As autumn settles in and the days invite us to slow down, I hope these recipes bring a little warmth and comfort to your own kitchen. Whether you’re cooking from memory, sharing a meal with loved ones, or simply enjoying the quiet ritual of preparing something nourishing, there’s something special about food that connects us – to our past, to each other, and to the season itself.