Gather Food, Flowers & Friends
Prunes in Armagnac is a classic French combination that somehow feels very current. Simple to make but best after a few weeks of waiting, these make for a very lovely impromptu dessert – just serve with thick Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche.
This deliciously seasonal chocolate fig pudding cake is a classic chocolate cake at the edges, but the further in to the centre you go, the more puddingy it is – like a chocolate fondant in a slice. It’s also incredibly easy and quick to make yet will make a big impression at any table.
This warm salad is ideal for the chillier days of autumn when you don’t need to go straight to root veg winter stews yet but still need a bit of warmth and substance to your dishes.
With its combination of bright flavours, nutty tones and the richness of the ham, it’s a new stalwart for chillier autumn days
Made using a no-churn method, this baked apple ice cream makes for a deliciously creamy, rich and autumnal dessert option just as it is, and it can be served straight from the freezer thanks to the generous splash of rum in the recipe
This recipe is definitely not the usual way of making a curry – instead of hovering over the stove, you simply add the various components to the roasting tin at a couple of intervals during cooking and walk away. While it does take a fair while to roast, it’s totally fuss-free to make, and it turns out beautifully rich, aromatic and full-flavoured thanks to its time being ignored in the hot oven.
Made with bullace or damsons instead of sloes, the flavour profile of this ‘hedgerow’ gin is a little less complex than that of sloe gin and it’s ready to drink a lot sooner too, making it great for adding to autumn-themed cocktails or simply serving over ice as a fabulous seasonal tipple. That’s not to say that sloe gin isn’t worth making too in a few weeks’ time – there’s nothing nicer than a thimbleful on a cold dark night in winter – but this simpler alternative is tasting pretty good right now, as a fruity, seasonal segue into autumn.
Simple to make but surprisingly impressive once dished up, this colourful and flavour packed chicken traybake with plums, herbs and rosé wine would be delicious for Sunday dinner or prepped in advance for a fuss-free midweek meal with pals.
Roasting grapes brings out a beautiful, complex richness in their flavours which works perfectly alongside slow cooked pork chops.
Light, fluffy & richly flavoured, these muffins feel very cosy and autumnal and would be ideal for serving up to friends with coffee for brunch or late in the afternoon, or packed up and brought with a thermos of chai tea for a walk at the beach.
While this mushroom, mozzarella & sage meatloaf is fabulously impressive in all its beautifully burnished, pancetta wrapped glory, it is also a very cost-effective, easy & delicious roast dinner option for feeding a crowd.
Looking for a dessert that even your health conscious pals will enjoy? Although this blueberry & yogurt cloud cake is made with no butter or oil, barely any sugar and just a sprinkle of flour it somehow becomes a magnificent, towering cake with a wonderfully fluffy texture and a beautiful subtly sweet, lemony flavour – a triumph by any standards.
Made in a free-form style and loaded with juicy seasonal fruit, this rustic apricot & cherry tart makes for a stunningly pretty dessert for a relaxed summer meal. It even uses pre-made pastry because June is no time to be rubbing in butter in my book.
Taking inspiration from the restaurant-style kievs I love so much, and adding a little extra ooziness just because, I recently came up with these very yummy mozzarella, rosemary & chilli breaded chicken cutlets. I would call them Kievs, but that term is somewhat sacrosanct to me, so cutlets it is. Give them a go, I think you’ll love them too.
With its glossy, colourful top and crisp, flaky base, this tomato tarte tatin is a gorgeous way to elevate a glut of tomatoes into an elegant & eye-catching seasonal showstopper for a summertime feast.
The gin & tonic combination in these poached pears came about sort of by accident due to having no wine opener (or wine for that matter) in our new place to make my usual poaching recipe, but the G&T version turned out to be a real revelation – the gin gives a light bitterness that works beautifully as a counterpoint to the sweet fruitiness of the pear, and the various aromatics flavour the syrup beautifully.
