A SIMPLE SUMMER BAKE

Open faced pies and quiches are ideal and can contain an assortment of mouth-watering fillings, chicken and leek, cheese and bacon, and gooey melt-in-the-mouth Brie. All can be made in advance and frozen until needed, and are useful for rustling up a quick meal when friends drop in unexpectedly.

With all the soft fruits still with us, now is the time to make luscious fruit puddings and pies to eat and tuck away into your freezer for the winter months ahead when summer is just a memory.

Blackberries and raspberries make a combination for a summer pudding, and although Eve's pudding is traditionally made with apples, blackberries and raspberries work just as well, especially if you add fresh pears that have been peeled and simmered in a light syrup, but I have used tinned pears in this recipe.

EVE'S PUDDING WITH PEARS AND BERRIES

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 2 x 425g tins of pears in natural juices. 110g blackberries. 110g raspberries. 140g softened butter. 140g self-raising flour. 55g ground almonds. ½ tsp baking powder. 140g light soft brown sugar. 2 medium eggs. 2 tbsp milk. 2 tbsp flaked almonds. Method: Preheat oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Drain the pears and chop them into chunks. Lightly grease with a little butter a medium sized ovenproof glass dish. Place the pears in it and sprinkle over the berries. Put all the other ingredients, except the flaked almonds, in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Spoon the mixture on top of the fruits, scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then serve with fromage frais, or whipped cream. This dessert will freeze well if baked in a freezer foil dish.

GREENAGE CRUMBLE

Serves 4.

Small round, golden yellow greengages make their brief appearance in the latter half of August. They are excellent as dessert fruits and for puddings.

Ingredients: 450g ripe greengages. 175g caster sugar. 75g butter. 175g plain flour. Method: Halve the greengages and remove the stones. Place in an oven proof dish and sprinkle with one third of the sugar. Bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5 for 10 minutes. Rub butter into the flour and stir in the remaining sugar. Sprinkle over the cooked fruit to cover completely. Return to oven and cook for a further 40 minutes. Serve warm with custard or cream. Apricots go well with greengages, and you can make and serve a warmed apricot purée separately with the greengage crumble.




APRICOT PURÉE

Ingredients: 225g fresh or 125g dried apricots. Method: Cover apricots with cold water and poach uncovered until tender. Drain and rub through a sieve. Flavour purée with sugar and lemon rind to give it a tangy taste.

GOOSEBERRY CLAFOUTIS

This simple classic French dessert is also delicious made with well-drained canned fruit or preserved peaches, but you can use almost any fresh firm fruit, such as gooseberries or cherries, which have now arrived on the scene and are at their best at this time of the year. I have chosen gooseberries for their tart flavour and firmness of fruit.

Serves 6.

Ingredients: 450g gooseberries. 300ml milk. 60g sugar. 3eggs. 1 tsp vanilla essence. 60g plain flour. Butter and extra sugar. Icing sugar to finish. Method: Butter a 20cm ovenproof flan dish. Place the fruit in dish and scatter over an extra spoonful or two of sugar. To make batter, place milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence and flour into a blender or food processor. Blend at top speed for 1 minute and pour carefully over the fruit. Bake in preheated oven 170C, 325F, Gas Mark 3 for about an hour until it is well-risen and golden brown. Dredge with icing sugar while still warm and serve with whipped cream.


COURGETTE QUICHE

Courgettes, although available most of the year, are particularly delicious when home-grown, and this quiche is particularly good served either hot or cold with a crisp green salad and my recipe for Hot New Potato Salad below.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: Cheese pastry: 175g plain flour. 75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated. 75g butter diced. 2 tbsp cold water. Make up pastry in the usual way, adding the cheese before you add the water. Filling: 25g butter. 350g courgettes, grated. 3 eggs beaten. 100ml single cream. 100ml milk. 1 tsp dried oregano. Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Method: Roll out pastry and line 23cm flan tin, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake in preheated oven 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for 10 minutes. Melt butter in frying pan, add courgettes and fry over moderate heat for 3-5 minutes until softened. Beat eggs, cream and milk together, add oregano to taste, and salt and pepper. Spoon courgettes evenly over flan base and pour egg mixture over them. Bake for 30-35 minutes in preheated oven 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4.

HOT NEW POTATO SALAD

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 450g new potatoes. 1 avocado, halved and stoned, 1 large spring onion, finely chopped. 1 tbsp chopped mint. Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp French dressing. 1 tbsp chopped mint. Method: Cook new potatoes in salted water with sprig of mint for 18-20 minutes. Peel avocado halves and mash them with the onion, mint, salt and pepper to make a very thick sauce. Mix in the French dressing. Drain Potatoes, pile in a serving dish and spoon over them the avocado dressing. Keeps well in refrigerator and can be served cold if you have any left over!

September, is the month for making pickles and chutneys. It's also the month when plums and damsons come into their own and are at their best and juciest. Next month I will try to give an all round September flavour, starting off with plums and preserves.