Food & Wine September 2012
September is upon us and the leaves are starting to fall. lt signals the start of another season with some vegetable and fruits coming and going. So I say make the most of what is leaving us till next year and do your best to extend the season and embrace the new arrivals.
Blueberries, blackberries, shallots and broad beans will be coming to the end of their season so buy your berries while they are plentiful. Stock up your freezer as they freeze really well and use them throughout the winter in jams, preserves, smoothies, tarts, crumbles and for breakfast. Also, shallots pickle really well and are delicious with smoked salmon and can be stored for months.
Some of the Autumn vegetables that will grace our tables are celeriac-fantastic raw in salads or pureed to make soups, such as celeriac and Brie. Another favourite is butternut squash; when roasted it makes a beautiful risotto and lends itself nicely to super-food salads. I have also been known to turn it into a silky smooth icecream with a hint of cinnamon. Also good is is beetroot, chicory, fennel and globe artichokes. Kale is back so let’s make our colcannon popular again. There are still lots of herbs and salad leaves available.
I particularly love autumn fruits such as apples, pears, raspberries, figs and plums because they a re so versatile. They can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. The above can be used in jams, tarts, crumbles, chutneys and pair really well with duck, pork and venison.
Whatever you decide to eat in September, I am sure it will put a smile on your face as we head into the shorter days and longer nights.
Stone and pip cobbler
serves 4
2 cooking apples, peeled
2 pears, peeled
4 plums
4 figs
50g butter
1 vanilla pod, split
100g sugar
For the almond crumble:
100g ground almonds
100g butter
100g sugar
100g plain flour
- Cut the apples and pears into eighths and remove the seeds.
- Cut the plums and figs into quarters.
- Heat a large frying pan and add the butter and vanila. When the butter starts to foam, add in the fruit and sugar. Toss in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a suitable baking dish.
- For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until it becomes a crumb. Sprinkle on top of your fruit and bake in a preheated oven at 160C/gas mark 2 1/2 for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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