Autumn days when the grass is jewelled…
This autumn has seen a bumper crop of apples and pears, maybe due to the hot summer, and there are almost too many to know what to do with! But as we always try to cook seasonally and locally, we’ve been harvesting, foraging and being even busier in the kitchen.
Here are some of our favourite autumn recipes.
1. Apple Tarte Tatin
We tend to use a Good Food recipe by Raymond Blanc which creates a delicious pool of caramel under the soft fruit and crispy pastry. Delicious served with crème fraiche, we’ve made this with both apples & pears and sometimes additional flavours such as cinnamon, cloves or star anise.
2. Blackberry & Apple Crumble
A firm favourite in our house, this nostalgic pudding reminds me of blackberry picking as a child, returning with berry-stained fingers and a bag of black shiny jewels. We use oats, ground almonds and brown sugar in our crumble topping for extra crunch and you can’t beat a good pour of homemade vanilla custard on top.
3. Apple Cake
There are so many recipes out there for apple cake…Yotam Ottolenghi makes a delicious one with an indulgent maple syrup icing; Gill Mellor elevates his apple cake with carrots & cinnamon, but for one that uses plenty of apples and is lovely and easy to make, it has to be Mary Berry.
4. Garden Chutney (‘Glutney’)
As with apple cake, the recipes for apple chutney are too numerous to mention. My mother always followed a recipe for ‘Colin’s Mum’s Chutney’ although we were never too sure who Colin was! I’ve been using a Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe for years. It’s called Glutney and basically helps to use up whatever glut of garden fruit and vegetables you may have, including apples, courgettes, tomatoes, plums, squash, onions…all with a lovely dose of spice & chilli.
5. Pear & Almond Frangipane Tart
A Finding Thyme favourite and one of our most popular desserts, this pudding is inspired by a Nicola Lamb recipe. The homemade pastry tart case is filled with a brown butter almond frangipane and soft pears that have been poached in cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and star anise and topped with crunchy flaked almonds.
We’ve also been trying out some other ideas…
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Surprisingly easy to make, apple cider vinegar can be made using left over apple peelings. Although not quite as tasty as the matured versions, it delivers the healthy gut benefits from a fermented food and uses up an ingredient that would otherwise end up on the compost!
7. Apple Juice
We are very lucky to have a lovely lady down the road who kindly presses local apples every year, so we take down a few bucketfuls from the garden and enjoy the delicious, sweet nectar of freshly pressed juice. A blend of Ribston Pippins and Bramleys seems to work best!
8. Sage, Onion & Apple Sausage Rolls
Adding a little grated apple, finely chopped onion and fresh sage to some butcher’s sausage meat can transform the mixture. Roll in some ready rolled puff pastry, brush with a little whisked egg or milk, sprinkle with sesame seeds and pop in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes for a delicious lunch idea.
9. Pear & Apple Compote
It’s always feels healthy to start the day with some fruit, and having a delicious homemade fruit compote in the fridge makes life easy. We’ve got a glut of apples and pears now so I just peel, core and slice a few of each, add a good pinch of cinnamon, a sprinkle of caster sugar and a drop of water and simmer for 10 minutes until softened. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge and pop on top of cereal or yoghurt with a sprinkle of nuts & seeds for a delicious breakfast.
10. Sausage, Cider & Apple Casserole
A comforting, cosy casserole is just what’s needed as the nights are closing in. Adding slices of caramelised apple to a cider and sausage stew adds a lovely sweetness and can be complemented with a dollop of punchy wholegrain mustard.
Do let us know if you have any favourite autumnal recipes that you’d like us to add to our repertoire!
