Autumn arrives in a flash. Suddenly, days are cooler and just a tad shorter. Our bodies crave the nourishment the shifting season demands and, luckily, these months give up some of the year’s best, most varied bounty – Padrón peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, potatoes, pulses and the last of the berries. It’s time for more substantial salads, and roasts served with something more robust. The recipes I’ve featured here are very simple, with few ingredients. I always take a less-is-more approach, to enable people to understand that when a product is in season, it tastes better and is better for them. By buying it from their local farmers’ market, they are able to form an intimate relationship with the person who grows it. It’s an honour for me to be the creative director of the Carriageworks Farmers Market and work with more than 80 incredible artisans from NSW. I’ve compiled a short list (below) of some of the producers whose ingredients feature in the recipes here. Make sure you go and say hi to all of the producers and farmers next time you are at the market. Padron peppers, borlotti beans and raspberries: Zavaglia’s Gourmet Produce Field mushrooms: Margin’s Mushrooms Cucumber: Block 11 Organics Fingerling potatoes: Russell, The Good Garlic Guy Chicken: Burrawong Gaian Sheep’s curd: Pecora Dairy Salt: Olsson’s Sea Salt Bread: La Tartine Bakery Beetroot: Kurrawong Organics Buttermilk: Pepe Saya Radish: Kemps Creek Farms Fennel: G & M Putrino Hot smoked ocean trout: Brilliant Food Olive oil: ALTO Olives Salad leaves: Salads Direct Rice: Randall Organic Rice Cream: Country Valley Dairy Milk: The Pines Kiama Tomatoes: Mountain View Herbs: Darling Mills Farm Wine: Eloquesta Wines

Padrón peppers are fun to eat – it’s like playing Russian roulette. They say 1 in 10 are hot, so take the plunge and enjoy, says Mike. Roast Padrón peppers and sheep’s curd on toast

For this recipe, I find the bigger the mushrooms the better, as they will hold their moisture well when grilling, says Mike. Marinated field mushrooms, beetroot and radish

Light, fresh and flavoursome, this salad from Mike McEnearney ticks all the boxes. Fennel, cucumber and buttermilk salad

Serve either as a side or as a meal on its own, this salad is as versatile as it is tasty. Ocean trout, fingerling potatoes and horseradish

You can dice the vegies as big or small as you like and make this as refined or rustic as you choose, says Mike. Roast chicken with braised borlotti beans

Raspberries have a lovely sharp bite that goes well with this rich, creamy pudding, says Mike. Baked rice pudding with raspberries