Hello October!

It’s Saturday and Autumn has well and truly arrived at Primal Cut HQ!

Outside, it’s raining heavily and the sky is a relentless gunmetal grey. It has been so important for us both to walk in nature over these summer months and I have loved the connections we have both felt to the seasons and the sun and the warmth and how the outside world responds to this. It has somehow lifted us both out of the external morass of doom and gloom that been present with us all this year.

In Autumn, there is no reason to let these connections fade. Perhaps even more so this year walking the same familiar paths shows us the reassuring signs of the season and life cycles in nature continuing on, regardless. In the village, I have watched the blackberries ripen on the old disused railway line behind our house and the elderberries hang seductively deep purple and lush in the hedgerows. Near the church, there is this huge pear tree, high and mighty, laden with an abundance of fresh golden fruit that will need a ladder to gather in and in the fields, down the old lane there are the most delicate mushrooms growing wild and tempting.

The overriding sense is one of abundance despite the rain and the grey sky overhead. And as if to underline this, throughout October the trees will start to turn those delicious autumn colours: burnt orange, saffron, scarlet and gold and the tree fruits will also come to ripen in a final flourish. We have a brand-new sweet chestnut and pork sausage to prepare as a seasonal treat for Christmas and so love this time of year for the new flavours we can bring to the table.

For me, October offers a sense of retreating of gathering in and preparing for winter. Outside when we walk, the plants are just starting to pull back into themselves. During October, some will shed their seeds first and others will die back on the surface and pull all their energies back into themselves, protecting themselves for what is to come. Other plants drop their leaves and show only exposed gnarly trunks and stems, but there is a lot to observe and keep a watchful eye helps us see the accidental beauty that nature creates – there’s a lot on offer to keep us sane this year!

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a little inspiration for a Sunday lunch, here are two of our favourite soup recipes because one thing is for certain, October is cosy time and today is soup weather! We love our sweet potato with lentils and pancetta soup and heartily recommend our creamy Zuppa Toscana. Serve each soup with lovely toasted croutons using one of our grain-free loaves of bread from our Tiny bakery. We particularly love our (gluten-free) paleo pumpkin bread at this time of year, sliced, toasted, buttered and cut into triangles, naturally tasty and nutrient-dense to nourish the whole family and keep everyone fuller for longer – no grumps, no afternoon slumps either!

Whatever you do folks, cosy up, stay safe and stay sane!