STYLE | Food


Food for thought with seasonal food guru Jo Richardson


SHARING THE SEASON’S WEALTH


The concept of a harvest festival in our secular and multi-faith society may, on the face of it, seem outmoded. But confronted as we are by the growing challenges of climate change and food poverty, perhaps now more than ever we need to reconnect with nature and reappraise and rejoice in our precious natural resources. And there is no better season than autumn, with all its mellow fruitfulness, for getting creative in the kitchen for the greater good.


Glorying in gluts


If you’re fortunate to have your own garden- or allotment-grown produce, you may well be grappling with a glut or few, and even if not, boxes of giveaway apples by garden gates will give you the cue for action. Set yourself, family members and/or friends the task of thinking up and researching interesting ways of processing and preserving the bounty, whether it’s bottling fruit such as poached pears or figs in spiced syrup or booze; pickling veg like marrow or fruit such as plums; cooking up fruit jams or lower-sugar butters and chutneys; making fruit leathers and ‘cheeses’ or oven-drying fruit slices and tomatoes. Then schedule in one or two production sessions, including dressing up your preserves with decorative jar covers, ties and labels to turn them into gifts for the wider community.


Foraging forays


For those days when the maturing sun has his hat on, plan some hikes or bike rides with family or friends with the many foraging opportunities on offer at this time of year in mind. Hedgerows will yield later-cropping and probably woodier-tasting blackberries but they’re still good for making jam, crab apples for jelly and


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rosehips for a jewel-coloured syrup or for drying and making a vitamin C-packed tea.


Any bird-escaped elderberries will make a rich vinegar or a gin or vodka liqueur, as will the more traditional sloes or bullaces, which are best frozen before use to burst the skins and release the juice – ideal for, dare I say it, Christmas presents. Head to woodland for sweet chestnuts with which to enrich veggie soups and stews, pasta sauces and risottos.


Charitable baking


Should your thoughts be turning to hosting a fundraising coffee morning, focusing on seasonal ingredients will help maximize the return on all that home-baking effort as well as tasting all the better for it.


Crowd-pleasers include apple and walnut traybake, pear and chocolate upside-down cake and pumpkin and chestnut pie, or major on beetroot to make extra-moist chocolate cake, cupcakes and brownies. And juice up any overripe or surplus fruit and veg as refreshment. Otherwise, simply stage a fun neighbourhood bake-off on a specific theme, such as breads or savouries – think apple soda bread or pear and IOW Blue Cheese tarts – and auction off the results for charity.


50


A Sunday roast: The great family tradition with tips and inspiration from top Island chefs


59


Beautiful blackberries: Try one of our autumn inspired recipes with these berries from the wild


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