Cook with the season, not against it

Rigid recipes are the enemy of seasonal eating. They demand specific ingredients regardless of what's available, and when one thing is out of season or unavailable, the whole plan falls apart. A better approach: learn a handful of adaptable cooking methods that work with whatever the land is offering this week. Five frameworks, swapped and varied through the year, will give you more interesting meals than a hundred fixed recipes. This guide teaches the method. You bring whatever's good right now.

Framework 1: The traybake

The traybake is the most forgiving format in cooking. Chop things up, toss with oil and seasoning, roast hot. It works with almost every vegetable and most proteins.

The method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200–220 °C.
2. Cut seasonal veg into roughly equal-sized pieces (they'll cook evenly).
3. Toss on a large baking tray with olive oil, salt, pepper, and one or two aromatics.
4. Add protein if using: sausages, chicken thighs, halloumi, chickpeas, or white beans.
5. Roast for 25–40 minutes until caramelised at the edges.
6. Finish with something bright: lemon juice, vinegar, fresh herbs, a crumble of cheese, or a drizzle of tahini.

Seasonal swaps:

| Season | Veg | Aromatics | Finish | |--------|-----|-----------|--------| | Spring | New potatoes, asparagus, radishes | Lemon zest, thyme | Pea shoots, mint | | Summer | Courgettes, peppers, cherry tomatoes | Garlic, basil | Torn mozzarella, balsamic | | Autumn | Squash, beetroot, red onion | Rosemary, cumin | Pomegranate seeds, yoghurt | | Winter | Parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts | Sage, mustard | Walnuts, blue cheese |

Framework 2: The one-pot braise

Low heat, a lidded pot, and time. Braising turns tough, cheap cuts and sturdy vegetables into deeply flavoured meals. It's the antidote to a cold evening and a kitchen full of root veg.

The method:

1. Brown your protein in a heavy pot (chicken thighs, lamb shoulder, sausages, or just lentils/beans for plant-based).
2. Sauté an onion and aromatics in the same pot.
3. Add chopped seasonal roots or sturdy veg.
4. Pour in stock, tinned tomatoes, or a mix of both—enough to almost cover everything.
5. Add a bay leaf, thyme, or whatever herbs you have.
6. Lid on, low oven (160 °C) or gentle hob simmer for 45–90 minutes.
7. Check seasoning, serve with bread, mash, or rice.

What to braise, by season:

• Spring: Chicken with leeks, new potatoes, and tarragon in white wine and stock.
• Summer: Courgettes and white beans in a light tomato broth with basil (shorter cook—20 minutes).
• Autumn: Sausages with lentils, carrots, and a splash of cider.
• Winter: Lamb neck or shin with swede, turnips, and pearl barley in a dark stock.

Framework 3: The grain bowl

A grain bowl is an assembled meal: a base of cooked grains, topped with roasted or raw seasonal veg, something for protein, and a dressing. No cooking technique to master—just thoughtful assembly.

The method:

1. Cook a grain: rice, pearl barley, couscous, bulgur wheat, or freekeh.
2. Add roasted, steamed, or raw seasonal veg (use leftovers from a traybake if you have them).
3. Include a protein: a boiled egg, tinned beans, grilled halloumi, shredded chicken, or smoked mackerel.
4. Dress with something punchy: lemon-tahini, mustard vinaigrette, yoghurt-herb, or soy-ginger.
5. Top with crunch: toasted seeds, nuts, pickled onion, or crispy shallots.

Seasonal inspiration:

• Spring: Barley, roasted asparagus, soft-boiled egg, lemon-tahini dressing, pumpkin seeds.
• Summer: Couscous, raw tomatoes and cucumber, grilled halloumi, mint-yoghurt dressing.
• Autumn: Brown rice, roasted squash, black beans, lime-coriander dressing, toasted pepitas.
• Winter: Freekeh, roasted beetroot and carrots, smoked mackerel, horseradish-yoghurt dressing.

Framework 4: The frittata

A frittata is an open-faced omelette baked or finished under the grill. It turns leftover vegetables into a proper meal and works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's also excellent cold the next day.

The method:

1. Sauté a handful of chopped seasonal veg in an oven-safe frying pan with a little oil or butter (5–8 minutes until softened).
2. Beat 5–6 eggs with a splash of milk or cream, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the veg. Cook on a medium-low hob for 5–6 minutes until the edges set.
4. Scatter cheese on top (feta, cheddar, goat's cheese—whatever you have).
5. Slide under a hot grill for 3–4 minutes until puffed and golden.
6. Slice into wedges. Eat warm or at room temperature.

What goes in, by season:

• Spring: Peas, broad beans, spring onions, and mint with goat's cheese.
• Summer: Courgettes, cherry tomatoes, and basil with mozzarella.
• Autumn: Leeks, mushrooms, and thyme with gruyère.
• Winter: Potato, cavolo nero, and rosemary with cheddar.

Framework 5: The quick soup

Soup is the ultimate flexible format. It absorbs any combination of seasonal vegetables, scales easily, freezes well, and costs very little to make.

The method:

1. Sauté a chopped onion (and garlic if you like) in oil or butter.
2. Add chopped seasonal veg—roughly equal-sized pieces for even cooking.
3. Pour in stock to just cover. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–25 minutes until everything is tender.
4. Blend for smooth soup, or leave chunky. Season well.
5. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a spoonful of yoghurt, croutons, toasted seeds, or fresh herbs.

The seasonal soup calendar:

• Spring: Pea and mint. Watercress and potato. Leek and new potato.
• Summer: Courgette and basil. Tomato and red pepper (roast first for depth). Sweetcorn chowder.
• Autumn: Butternut squash and sage. Parsnip and apple. Mushroom and thyme.
• Winter: Celeriac and white bean. Cauliflower and cheddar. Root vegetable with pearl barley (leave chunky).

Tying it all together: a week of seasonal meals

Here's how the five frameworks might shape a winter week:

| Day | Framework | What's in it | |-----|-----------|-------------| | Monday | Soup | Celeriac and white bean, with crusty bread | | Tuesday | Traybake | Parsnips, carrots, sausages, mustard dressing | | Wednesday | Grain bowl | Barley, leftover traybake veg, poached egg, tahini | | Thursday | Braise | Chicken thighs, leeks, potatoes, thyme, white wine | | Friday | Frittata | Leftover braise veg, eggs, cheddar, salad on the side |

Five different dinners, five frameworks, one season's produce. The leftovers from Tuesday became Wednesday's bowl. Thursday's braise fed Friday's frittata. That's the system.

Building confidence

If you're new to this approach:

1. Start with one framework. Master the traybake for a month. Vary the veg each week. Once it's second nature, add another.
2. Taste as you go. Seasoning is the difference between "fine" and "delicious." Salt, acid (lemon or vinegar), and fat (butter or olive oil) are your three levers.
3. Don't fear repetition. Eating roasted roots three times in a week isn't boring if each version has a different finish—tahini on Monday, blue cheese on Wednesday, pesto on Friday.
4. Keep a stocked cupboard. Olive oil, stock, tinned beans, onions, garlic, lemons, eggs, a hard cheese, and a few dried spices cover most situations.

What to ask a farmer

• "What's at its absolute best this week?"
• "How do you cook this at home?"
• "Is there anything that's about to go out of season I should grab now?"
• "What pairs well with this—any combination you'd recommend?"

Ready for more?

Check what's in season this month to plan your next shop, explore storage techniques to keep your ingredients fresh between meals, or read our eating local on a budget guide for strategies that make seasonal cooking affordable. The kitchen is simpler than recipes make it seem.