Jonny and I visited the Ashburton Food Festival over the weekend — a lovely annual gathering for food lovers in the South West — and I came away with some smoked mackerel, which I absolutely adore.
I also found bright yellow courgettes, fresh new-season Brussels sprouts and a long, lilac aubergine. I forgot to photograph them before cooking, and the aubergine’s colour faded in the pan, turning a little brown — lesson learned. 
Despite the lost colour, the ingredients came together into a light, comforting autumn lunch. The flavours were balanced and nourishing, and that miso dressing is definitely a keeper — I’ll be making a bigger batch to keep in the fridge. 
Anyone else see the strange face in that last photo? Once you notice it, you can’t unsee it!
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2
smoked mackerel fillets
skin and bones removed
-
2
tablespoons
oil -
3
or 4 young courgettes -
1
small aubergine -
5
or 6 Brussels sprouts
-
4
teaspoons
oil -
1
heaped teaspoon miso -
3
teaspoons
lime juice -
1
clove
garlic
minced -
1
level teaspoon sugar -
Fresh coriander
chopped -
Enough fresh red chilli to suit your taste
chopped - Extra coriander and red chilli to sprinkle on top of the finished dish.
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Slice the courgettes and aubergine into long fingers about 3/4–1 inch thick. Quarter the Brussels sprouts lengthways and place all the vegetables on a baking tray with the oil, tossing to coat evenly.
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Roast for around 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the sprouts have started to brown at the edges.
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While the vegetables roast, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. The dressing will be fairly thick; if you prefer a thinner drizzle for salads, add a little more oil until it reaches the desired consistency.
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When the vegetables are done, pour the miso dressing into the hot pan and toss everything so the veg are well coated and warmed through.
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Divide the dressed vegetables between two plates, flake the smoked mackerel into bite-sized pieces and arrange on top. Spoon any remaining dressing from the pan over the finished plates and scatter extra coriander and chilli to taste.