my sage plant is going crazy at the moment. it's looking very beautiful - the leaves are variegated with green, white and purple patches - and i'd like to find some recipes to do it justice.

this butternut squash risotto with goats cheese was a good starting point but i need more ideas - can anyone recommend anything?

eta: this risotto was finished with browned butter which had sage leaves added to it, until they crisped up. very delicious and a trick worth remembering (to blog)!

mushrooms are another thing which david is not keen on, so, again i took advantage of him being away when i made these for barley-stuffed mushrooms, a version of an ottolenghi recipe.

i served this as part of a picnic lunch for friends, with salad, crusty ciabatta and a selection of dips – roasted tomato & red pepper, chickpea and beetroot. the dips were all skye gyngell recipes and sadly were not that great, apart from the beetroot.

the mushrooms on the other hand were wonderful – the earthy flavour of the mushroom contrasted really well with the light lemony goats curd and the herbs and lemons (fresh and preserved) which lifted the barley’s gentle comforting flavours. i had some of the barley mix leftover as well as some mushroom gravy. i think this will be a good leftovers supper for one with a green salad.

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i know autumn has arrived when squashes and pumpkins appear in the shops and markets. i love trying different types and took full advantage of a recent offer for a mixed selection in my vegetable box.

the gem squash will be boiled and mashed with lots of butter, salt and pepper. i roasted the onion squash for a chorizo, bean and squash salad (similar to this) and the acorn squash was used in a wonderfully simple and very delicious meal of roast squash with lentils and goat’s cheese.

 the acorn squash has a thin skin which means you don’t need to peel it before roasting and eating (this is true for onion and butternut squash as well) and the sweetness contrasts wonderfully with earthy puy lentils and rich tangy goats cheese. i served this with a green salad on the side.

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