Roasted until tender, peeled then wedged and thrown into salads, is an obvious way to go. But you can also shred them finely and use them raw in a ‘slaw. Puree cooked beets with rinsed, canned chickpeas, tahini, some garlic, EVOO and a touch of lemon juice for the prettiest hummus ever. What a dip. 

Cubed and cooked in plenty of butter in a saucepan, they‘re a wonderful addition to risotto. Or, diced and braised in EVOO with anchovies, thyme sprigs, a touch of red wine vinegar, red wine, some chopped raisins, a little chicken stock and their chopped tops, they’re brilliant though pasta with plenty of parmesan. Emphasis on plenty.Yes, you absolutely can cook beetroot tops and yes, you absolutely should.

Life might be too short to peel a grape, but not for roasting a whole pile of them. Simply crank your oven to 200°C, toss grapes with EVOO, a little balsamic vinegar, a restrained sprinkle of superfine sugar and some fresh rosemary leaves, then roast for 15-20 minutes until they’re a bit burst and roasty. Bake them onto a cheesy pizza (mozzarella AND parmesan, thanks) with even more rosemary. Or scatter them through a salad of arugula, prosciutto and baked, cheesy croutons. 

Grapes are some of the best autumn fruits out there, and they’re excellent in a quick pickle. Just halve them, half-cover with decent red wine vinegar, then add a few teaspoons of superfine sugar and just enough salt to make the liquid taste a touch salty. Stir occasionally for 4 hours or, then use your quick pickled grapes spooned over roasted pork, or in a roast cauliflower salad with toasted walnuts and torn fior de latte. Divine.

Oh, eggplant, the wondrous addition to our autumn vegetables list.

Hurl it whole, unpeeled – un-ANYTHING, actually – directly on a gas flame, or on a hot barbecue. Then char the heck out of it. All over. Until it’s soft. Scoopable. Once cooled a bit, peel, then blitz the lovely smoke-infused flesh with Greek yoghurt to make a dip. Or just break it up coarsely (use your hands), mix it with chopped parsley, dill, spring onion, garlic and EVOO, then serve with warmed flatbread, chunks of feta and olives. Or, serve your charred eggplant whole, slit in half, with a lovely fattoush-style Middle Eastern salad to the side.

Squishy, bursting, pulpy persimmons. If you don’t know these, they’re gorgeous round, slightly squat, bright orange fruits. With their glossy skin and graceful curly calyx, they’re a super-pretty addition to autumn’s harvest and are in season in fall. Softening only slightly as they ripen, they’re firm, have a sweet juiciness and are divine in salads. While you can cook them (halved and oven baked with honey, butter and some warm spices like cinnamon and ginger is one way to go), they are nothing short of brilliant with prosciutto, basil and bocconcini (or provolone piccante or bits of gooey taleggio) in a salad.

Never. Boil. Them. OK, now that we’re clear, let’s look at how to get the most from this misunderstood vegetable in season for autumn. They’re sublime roasted in olive oil, either halved lengthways or cooked whole. Cook them until they’re soft, golden and even starting to char, then serve them as-is, seasoned with salt and pepper. Or roast them with some sage leaves and apple wedges for a lovely pork chops or pork roast side. Make them into a warm salad; they’re good with chestnuts and bacon, or even tossed in a sweet-spicy gochujang based dressing, scattered with sesame seeds and coriander. 

Otherwise try a gratin by lightly roasting your Brussels sprouts, then sauce them in a baking dish with cheesy béchamel, strew fresh bread crumbs over, then bake until they’re bubbly and crunchy in all the right places. And of course Brussels sprouts are incredible raw, shredded fine (a mandoline helps), in salads.