October is having an identity crisis. The calendar says it is time for stews, roasting tins and something involving a suspicious amount of melted cheese; the weather, meanwhile, is still flirting with the high 20s.
It leaves dinner in equally awkward territory. Nobody particularly wants a heavy winter supper when it is warm enough to have the windows open, but salads have rather lost their charm. What does work is food that sits somewhere in the middle: comforting without being cumbersome, easy enough for a weeknight and, crucially, capable of feeding the whole family without requiring a separate children’s menu.
