As the weather in London fluctuates between sunny spells and chilly reminders of winter, cooks face a culinary dilemma: salads feel insufficient, yet heavy stews seem premature. This transitional period calls for dishes that are cooked but not piping hot, substantial yet bright, acknowledging the evening chill without surrendering to it.
Bridging the Gap Between Salad and Supper
The solution lies in the territory between salad and supper. Roast vegetables, grains, rice, and pasta are particularly suited for this time of year. These dishes can be eaten warm from the oven or sit happily on the table until everyone is ready, with plenty of lemon, herbs, vinegar, chilli, or yoghurt to keep things lively.
Rachel Roddy's rice salad with red peppers, celery, herbs, and egg is exactly that sort of thing, especially when eaten at room temperature rather than fridge-cold. Rukmini Iyer's roast red pepper orecchiette with pistachios and ricotta takes the last of the peppers somewhere warmer without turning them into winter food.
Pushing Further into Autumn
Another Rachel dish, fusilli with roast squash, gorgonzola, and sage, pushes us a little farther into autumn. Nigel Slater's braised aubergines, courgettes, preserved lemon, and olives are perhaps even better at room temperature than hot, which is exactly where we want to be.
Yotam Ottolenghi's aubergine and red pepper pahi with fenugreek and curry-leaf oil has that combination we crave now: something cooked and substantial, but also sweet, sour, and spicy. His black rice with fennel and butternut squash feels made for this time of year, with roast vegetables, rice, chilli, and a sharp dressing.
Local Heroes and Happy Places
Some of the best food in London can be found on Grove Lane in Camberwell. Lala Books is surely London's most charismatic bookshop thanks to the consistently excellent selection, the coffee, and the neighbourhood feel. A few shops down is Theo's pizzeria, which has long been loved, while further down the road is the glorious Kerfield Arms, offering some of the best food in the city right now, including an incredible Sunday lunch and what has to be the best lunch deal in town: a plate and a glass of wine for £15. They even have a Michelin star.
Wildflowers is a restaurant nestled in a Pimlico back yard, easy to miss but not to be missed, as it's where many want to spend every birthday and anniversary. The menu is very seasonal, with hopes that the heavenly sweetcorn and truffle agnolotti will return.
This is how we want to eat now, with one foot in each season. A tray comes out of the oven, something sharp gets squeezed over it, a handful of herbs goes on top, and dinner can wait while we take one last bike ride before dark. In the coming months, days will get shorter and colder, so this opportunity to get as much colour and zest as possible out of every meal is to be seized.
