October means autumn. This may be the time when the change of season is most noticeable: in wardrobes, shop windows, hours of daylight, nature, our habits and also in the kitchen. At this time of year we fancy soups of different kinds, stewed meat and fruit served at the table in myriad ways, adding new nutrients and a wide range of flavour mixtures to delight the palate.

Warm dishes are back!

On the menus at the restaurants in the illa Carlemany shopping centre and when you fill your shopping trolley at the Caprabo supermarket, look for the ingredients for different kinds of soups. The pumpkin reigns supreme among these, not just for a nice cream soup, but also in desserts or stews, as it offers a high vitamin and mineral content while low in calories.

Chestnuts and sweet potatoes are also among the stars at this time of year, and in fact on 31st October, All Saints, they have their own event, the Castanyada. They share the limelight with panellets, sweet delicacies based on pine kernels, almonds and codonyat, or quince cheese. You can enjoy all these ingredients – chestnuts, sweet potatoes, nuts and codonyat – as desserts or to go with other dishes such as purées, allioli (a garlic and oil dressing) or stewed meat dishes that have to bubble away for some time.

mushrooms to round it all off!

And don’t forget figs, pomegranates, walnuts, medlars and game. An authentic autumn selection. All that’s missing is the wild mushrooms! If you aren’t into going out to collect them, come along to the Caprabo supermarket in illa Carlemany and you won’t need to bend down to pick them! When you get them home all you have to do is cook them! Bon appetit!