Cooling off from the warmth of summer and heading into crisp autumn mornings sparks a change in produce and a cosiness of sorts creeping its way back onto the plates of food reaching the pass and dining table. Also known as the harvest season the abundance of produce available in the upcoming months is incredibly diverse. Safe to say Maimoa lamb loves the ingredient prospects that come with autumn and the delicious plates of food that will reach the table. 

This change in season brings with it some of the best produce of the year; orange squash and pumpkins for roasting, flowering heads of broccoli, Brussel sprout buds, sweet carrots, juicy leeks, bulbs of fennel, glossy purple aubergine, crisp cucumbers, root vegetables like parsnips, turnips and pink blush radishes and beetroot, sweet and buttery potatoes, leafy sticks of rhubarb and silver beet, husks of sweet corn, and the last picks of peaches and plums before the beginning of the season for figs, pears, and apples. These are the months where chefs and cooks can get creative as the produce available is so varied and abundant. 

For Maimoa, every season brings with it a new opportunity of flavours to show off our hand-picked, grass-fed lamb. But, there is a certain earthiness of the fruit and vegetables available in autumn that works incredibly well with our lamb. Like how we farm and prepare our lamb, we value eating something at its finest and best state. Therefore, for us eating seasonally and flexing with the availability of produce goes hand in hand with preparing our Maimoa lamb for eating. Sampling both the land and the season in unity is an ideal way of preparing our lamb in the most delicious way.

With the cooler and shorter days approaching, warmer foods will be making their way back onto menus as dishes lean into having deeper flavours as we stretch out the time we have to cook as we make our way indoors more. Sauces, soups, broths and braises return to the kitchen as we crave nourishing bowls of food that hero the season. All this talk of seasonal eating, it made sense to chat with Chef Sam Parish about what her favourite lamb dishes to cook for autumn will be.

Autumn is a special time of year for food. Entertaining outside is still happening, but we know the move to the indoors is only around the corner. Therefore, earlier in the season I like to take advantage of the BBQ before it’s too cold to head outside.

For this, lamb fillets or boneless short loins marinated in rosemary and garlic and grilled over high heat are perfect for grilling outside. I like to serve them thinly sliced on a bed of labneh and a salad using up the last of summer’s tomatoes, quick pickled red onion, butter beans and scattered with anything green that’s seasoning the shelves. The sweetness of the lamb cooked briefly and rested is always a delicious meal to share with friends and family. Crunchy bread is a non-negotiable to serve with this one. 

As we head into the colder weeks of autumn and the leaves start to fall from the trees, I love big bowls of wholesome soups and broths. Using lamb bones to make rich stocks and spiking them with miso, kombu, bonito flakes and in season carrot and leek, for a delicious silky broth. I serve it ladled into bowls with chewy noodles and in season sweet corn. Finishing of course with a quickly marinated piece of shoulder meat that I keep after deboning and grill high and fast, then rest and thinly slice to top the bowl. Served with a jammy soft-boiled egg to be squished into the broth alongside. It's pure comfort food. Check out the video here. 

Whether cooking at home or for service, Maimoa lamb doesn’t need much to be amazing. So cooking with the seasons and using what is available is inspiration enough. Try serving the broth to be poured at the table. Or pairing the lamb salad with freshly cooked pittas and extra salad for a sensational share-style lunch for guests to gawk over. The beauty of Maimoa lamb is that it’s always in season!

We’d love to know what you’re planning to do with your lamb this autumn? Happy cooking!