end of summer feasting

As the sun begins to set earlier and the days grow shorter, there’s a certain chill in the evening air that holds the promise that summer is slowly winding down. Before the season slips away completely, make the most of these final warm days and capture every moment outdoors.

With the return to school, and the rhythm of everyday life just around the corner, now is the perfect time to enjoy relaxed, seasonal meals that capture the essence of this seasonal shift by combining the best of summer produce with early autumn bounty.
 

Seasonal Stars

Courgettes and Aubergines: Perfect for grilling, roasting, or adding to ratatouille. Their tender flesh and mild flavour make them incredibly versatile.
Chanterelle Mushrooms: In season from late summer to midwinter, chanterelle mushrooms are a highly prized fungi with a delicate, fruity taste.
Tomatoes: Bursting with flavour, tomatoes are a late-summer staple. Enjoy them in salads, sauces, or simply sliced with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Runner Beans: These kitchen garden favourites are great steamed or boiled and covered in salted butter.
​Blackberries and Apples: As the seasons begin to change, enjoy the first harvest of blackberries and early apples. Perfect for making crumbles, pies, or simply enjoying fresh.
Sweetcorn: A must-have for summer barbecues, sweetcorn is delicious grilled or boiled. Its natural sweetness adds a delightful contrast to savoury dishes.
Venison: Our wild venison is full of flavour borne from their rich naturally foraged diet, including berries, nuts, grasses, and acorns. Wild venison has less fat and fewer calories than beef or lamb, but is also high in protein, iron, and essential vitamins and minerals like B vitamins and zinc.

Take advantage of the start of the wild venison season by pairing this lean, delicious meat with seasonal veg for a meal that is a celebration of late summer.

Three Venison Recipes To Try Now

Summer Venison Stew

800g diced venison
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 courgettes, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Handful fresh thyme and rosemary
250ml red wine
500ml organic beef stock or bone broth
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

 Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced venison and sear on all sides. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, add onions and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, courgettes, and tomatoes, cooking for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
Return the venison to the pot. Stir in a tablespoon of flour until the meat and veg are coated, then pour in red wine continuing to stir until the flour is incorporated. Add the beef stock or bone broth to cover the meat and vegetables. Add fresh thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, alongside mashed potatoes and buttered runner beans.

Venison Steaks With Chanterelles

4 wild venison steaks  
1 tsp olive oil 
115g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
450g chanterelles, sliced
100ml duck bone broth or stock made from venison bones
100ml double cream
Sea salt and black pepper

Season the venison steaks with sea salt and black pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the venison steaks and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes if needed. The steaks should be browned on the outside but still tender and juicy inside. 
Remove your cooked venison and set aside to keep warm. Add the remaining butter to the pan, stir in your chanterelles and shallots and cook these for 5 minutes turning occasionally. Add your broth or stock and reduce in half, pour in the cream and season, as the sauce thickens remove from the heat. 
Slice the rested venison steaks against the grain and plate them. Spoon the chanterelle sauce over the steaks and serve.
 

Wild Venison Fillets with Blackberry Sauce

4 wild venison fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
200g blackberries
100ml red wine
100ml beef bone broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp honey (optional, depending on the sweetness of the blackberries)
Sea salt and black pepper

Season the venison fillets with sea salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the venison fillets and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Once cooked, remove the fillets from the pan and let them rest on a warm plate, covered loosely with foil.
In the same pan used for the venison, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the chopped shallot. Sauté until the shallot is softened and translucent. Add the blackberries and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Add the bone broth and balsamic vinegar, continuing to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add a teaspoon or two of honey if the sauce is too tart. Season to taste.
Slice the venison fillets against the grain and serve with the blackberry sauce.