From the Witches Kitchen
Mabon Recipes: Harvest Vegetable Bake with Goat’s Cheese
Make a comforting Mabon vegetable bake with aubergine, peppers, courgettes, goat’s cheese and a rich cheese sauce.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
25–30 minutes
Serves
6 servings
Ingredients
Vegetable base
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 aubergines, diced
- 2 red peppers, diced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 500ml passata
Topping
- 200g soft young goat’s cheese
- 4 courgettes, thinly sliced
- Olive oil and sea salt
Cheese sauce
- 400ml milk
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g plain flour
- 80g grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese
- Salt and pepper
Kitchen Witch Notes
Mabon food is wonderfully practical: gathering what is in season, cooking slowly and sharing something substantial. In modern kitchen-witch correspondences, aubergine is often used for grounding, red onion for strength and smoked paprika for warmth and fire.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with crusty bread, roasted roots or a simple green salad. It is even better when it has rested long enough not to remove the roof of your mouth.
Introduction
This is the sort of vegetable bake that makes the kitchen smell like somebody has made a sensible decision. It is full of late-summer vegetables, creamy goat’s cheese and enough warmth to make a wet autumn evening feel less offensive.
It is generous rather than flashy, which is exactly right for Mabon.
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan or Gas Mark 7.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onions and garlic until soft, then add the aubergines and peppers and cook until beginning to soften.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and passata. Simmer until rich and glossy, then pour into a baking dish.
- For the sauce, melt the butter, stir in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and thick. Stir in the grated cheese and season.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables. Scatter over goat’s cheese, then layer the courgettes on top. Brush with olive oil and season with sea salt.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Swaps & Variations
Use whatever seasonal vegetables need using up. Swap the goat’s cheese for feta or a plant-based alternative, and use oat milk plus vegan cheese for a dairy-free version.
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