APPLE CAKE

With the high winds and inclement weather, apples are falling from the trees in their dozens at the moment. Although this means that many are bruised and damaged, it doesn’t mean we have to throw them away. The good bits can be sliced and cooked, then frozen so that the pulp can be used as a pie filling in the winter. You can also use some up by adding apple slices to cakes to give them a tasty moist finish. This easy- to-make cake is a great way of using up bruised apples.
You will need: Equivalent of a couple of whole apples 5oz (150g) caster sugar 5oz (150g) soft butter or margarine 8oz (250g) self raising flour 2 free range eggs 4 tbspns milk Pinch of salt

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TOMATO SOUP

Sometimes all the tomatoes seem to turn red at once and soften quickly in the muggy weather. Don’t throw them away! These are the tomatoes you can set aside for soup. They can also be chopped and packed in small bags in the freezer so that they can be used to flavour stews and casseroles during the winter, or you can use them to make a sauce for serving with pasta.
This soup is easy to make and because it’s chunky it can be used as a main course lunch dish if you wish.

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RASPBERRY AND ORANGE PUDDING

If the cold wet windy weather continues we are going to be looking for comfort food rather than salads. This easy- to-make, raspberry pudding combines that wonderful summer flavour of freshly picked raspberries with the comfort-food feel of warm sponge pudding.
You will need (for 8 small puddings):
4oz (100g) caster sugar
4oz (100g) soft butter or margarine
4oz (100g) SR flour 2 free range eggs
Grated zest of one lemon and one orange
8oz (250g) fresh raspberries
4 dspns golden syrup
Pinch salt

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RUNNER BEANS

There are fancy recipes that can be used to help you use up a glut of runner beans from the garden and the allotment, but I am not going to give you one.
This superb vegetable needs no garnish, no fancy cooking techniques. It stands alone. The flavour of runner beans, picked fresh from the garden or allotment is so scrumptious, that all you need is a pot of boiling salted water to cook the beans and a sharp knife to slice them thin.
The knife in the photograph is a cheap little knife I picked up from The Emporium, Mill Street, about three months ago. I wanted a paring knife for vegetables and Corin, who owns and runs The Emporium, suggested I try this one.
Thanks to this little knife, which is very reasonably priced, preparing my runner beans for the pot have been so easy, I really wonder how I ever managed before.

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RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE AND RASPBERRIES

Sometimes there are not quite enough fresh raspberries to give everyone a full bowl served with cream, but there are often enough to tip on top of a rich chocolate cake to make it look lavish. As chocolates and raspberries make the most delicious combination, it’s worth thinking of ways to combine the two. This chocolate cake is so easy to make, even the children can cope with this recipe, because all you do is tip all the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix until you have a soft creamy texture, then bake for about an hour and 15 minutes.
I made this one for my brother John’s birthday as he simply adores chocolate cake. It fitted the bill perfectly.

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SPINACH AND ORANGE SOUP

The wonderful thing about cooking soup is that you can keep throwing things into the pot until you are happy with the flavour. This soup is really easy to make but how it finally tastes is up to you. I began by adding the juice and zest of one orange to this soup, but on final tasting decided that the juice and zest of two gave it far more punch.

For 4- 6 people you will need:
8 oz (250g) spinach
Grated zest and juice of one/two oranges
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced small
One clove garlic – chopped
One medium onion – chopped
One ounce (25g) butter
One pint chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black peppercorn to season
Grated orange zest to garnish

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GLOBE ARTICHOKES

Globe artichokes are ready to harvest!
These delightful vegetables are a real treat to be enjoyed at leisure, preferably on a balmy summer evening when you have time to pull off the petals one by one eat slowly as you savour the taste sensations they provide.
They can be enjoyed hot or cold by plucking off the petals one by one and sucking away the fleshy part while sipping a glass of chilled wine under the apple tree. The much prized heart of the artichoke, which lies at the base of the globe, is eaten last with a spoon.

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RASPBERRY CHOUX BUNS

Choux buns are really easy to make providing you remember that they need to be put straight into a very hot oven that has reached the required temperature. If you put them into a warm oven you will end up with a tray of soggy biscuits.

You will need:
4oz (125g) butter
4oz (125g) plain flour
Half pint water
4 free range eggs
Pinch salt
For Filling
150ml double cream
raspberries

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CIDER AND STRAWBERRY FIZZ

If you have a few over- ripe strawberries you don’t know what to do with, don’t throw them away, they can be turned into a perfect summer drink by adding them to a glass of chilled cider.
The combination is terrific — what’s more it looks and tastes like a champagne cocktail.

For two glasses you will need:
One chilled bottle of Wychwood’s Green Goblin Cider
4 ripe strawberries
Generous dash of grenadine

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FRESH PEAS FRENCH STYLE

For 4 people you will need:
One pound of shelled fresh peas
One small lettuce
Bunch spring onions
Small bunch parsley – chopped fine
2oz (50g) butter
1 tspn sugar
Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to season

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RATATOUILLE

Everyone has their favourite recipe for ratatouille and most include red and green capsicums – but this is one of those dishes that can be made from what ever comes to hand, though I usually make courgettes the main ingredient. In other words it’s a fabulous way of using up handfuls of this and that which you have harvested and don’t know what to do with, including broad beans and peas if you wish.
Ratatouille can be made in advance, indeed it tastes better if the herbs have time to infuse their flavours overnight. This is one dish where courgettes and other vegetables can be cooked together until really soft and is best eaten warm not hot.

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COURGETTE SALAD WITH LEMON

There comes a moment when there are so many courgettes in the garden and allotment that you can’t even give them away. As this is a vegetable that doesn’t respond well to freezing, you must either watch them growing bigger and bigger or add them to as many dishes as you can while they last. After all, courgettes are a sign that high summer really has arrived – they should be celebrated.
Try tossing a few into a casserole just a few minutes before it’s ready to serve, so that they retain a little crunch; or turn them into soup which can be made in bulk and frozen. You can also use them as an extra salad for serving with the barbecue.

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