Recipes and Foods in Season

September

August was not too bad, we saw some lovely sunshine and warm evenings which enabled us to entertain outside.  Now the school holidays are over, and this month sees new schools for some, and familiar surroundings for others, but of course challenges ahead for us all. Autumn is also on its way, but more often than not September is quite often a very lovely month. So what can we find in season for this month, for many of us we will welcome back the Sunday roast, a meal that gathers families together around the table catching up the week’s news. 

Vegetables

Courgettes, cabbages and runner beans are available this month, together with tomatoes, artichokes, kale and butternut squash. These lovely vegetables are great for salads but have amazing flavours just on their own.

Fruit

apples

Plump blackberries are ready to be picked. Freeze and they are ready to make wonderful crumbles and pies throughout the winter months. English apples, plums and damsons will be available in the supermarket and local orchards, you may even be lucky enough to have your own trees. There is nothing better than a juicy apple or plum straight from the tree.

Meat

Venison, wild duck, rabbit, pork and lamb are this month’s favourites. A lovely roasted shoulder of pork with apples and stuffing sounds rather delicious right now. Always try something new, a different style of cooking or a meat product you have never dare purchase before, as the saying goes - nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let us know what you have tried this month.

Seafood

For those of you that love the sea shell fish and oysters come in to their own this month. Together with mackerel, plaice, sea trout and turbot. So make the most of the freshness and enjoy

Share your favourite creations and recipes.


September Recipes

Dorset Apple Cake

Ingredients – serves 8

  • 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 450g Bramley apples
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 225g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
  • 3 large eggs
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 25g ground almonds
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease a deep 23-24cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1cm pieces, and toss with the lemon juice.
  • Using an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth. 
  • Sift the remaining flour and the baking powder into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Drain the apple pieces well, then stir into the mixture.
  • Spoon into the prepared cake tin, lightly level the top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until well-risen, brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to look a little too brown, cover with a sheet of baking paper after about 45 minutes. 
  • Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Dredge heavily with the extra caster sugar. 
  • Cut the cake into generous wedges and serve warm with a spoonful of clotted cream, if you like.