September Flavours
September is the month when summer fades into autumn and there is a definite chill in the air.
I always think of it as a crossover month, with summer produce tailing off and the new-season crops coming in.
Fruit is abundant and at its peak this month - a bonanza time for bottlers, and jam and chutney makers.
It also marks a real change in the kitchen, as summer salads give way to root vegetables.
This month we have recipes making the most of the season's crops, using blackberries, blackcurrants, plums, and the fruit vegetables that abound in September, including courgettes, marrows, aubergines and peppers.
There are lots of varieties of homegrown apples and pears, and plums and damsons, which make delicious autumn puddings.
So let's make the most of this month – it's a month to enjoy and savour before the winter really sets in.
STUFFED COURGETTES AND TOMATOES
These stuffed courgettes make an excellent starter to a main course. Allow two courgette cases per person as the filling is quite substantial.
Serves 4.
Ingredients: 4 fairly large courgettes. 1 heaped tablespoon Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese. 2 tablespoons fine, white breadcrumbs. A little garlic butter. 3 garlic cloves, crushed. Salt and pepper to season.
Garlic butter: Cream 110g butter and add 2-3 crushed garlic cloves and 2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Beat together and store in an airtight plastic container and use as required.
Method: Steam courgettes until tender but firm, about 12 minutes. Then split lengthwise and fork out filling from courgette and mash to a pulp. Mix in the breadcrumbs, cheese and bind with a little garlic butter. Salt and pepper to season, then put mixture into courgette cases. Brush tops with oil and bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mk 5 for about 15 minutes, until filling is cooked through.
Stuffed tomatoes can be made in the same way as above. You will need 4 large tomatoes, halve them between top and base (not downwards), scoop out filling and mix with 1 small teacup of soft, brown breadcrumbs, 1 flat dessertspoon chopped chives, parsley and tarragon. Mix with a little garlic butter, salt and pepper, drizzle a little oil over the tops and bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5 for about 15 minutes.
BLACKCURRANT BAKEWELL TART
This month will see the last of the blackcurrants. I'm lucky enough to have a fruit farm near where I live, so I make sure I pick plenty of these berries to make jams and puddings, and freeze some for the winter months. Most fruits work well in this tart and you can use any fruit of your choice.
Serves 6-8.
Pastry: 110g plain flour. 50g wholemeal flour. 40g butter. 40g lard. About 2 tablespoons water. Filling: 110g butter. 110g castor sugar. 110g semolina. 1 egg beaten. 1 tablespoon blackcurrant jelly. 110g blackcurrants.
Method: For the pastry measure flours into a bowl, then rub in fats until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Bind together with water to give a stiff dough. Wrap in cling film and rest in refrigerator for 15 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface. Use to line 20cm (8 inch) flan dish, prick base and return to refrigerator. For the filling: Measure butter, sugar, semolina and egg into a bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Spread jelly over the base of the flan shell and arrange blackcurrants on top. Spoon the semolina mixture over the blackcurrants, spread evenly and bake in preheated oven 200C, 400F, Gas Mk 6 for 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown and pastry is cooked. Serve hot or cold.
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BLACKBERRY SOUFFL
Blackberries are still with us for the picking; this is an easy dessert to make - trust me - it doesn't collapse like most souffls do!
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
500g fresh blackberries. Juice of half a lemon. 3 egg whites. 85g caster sugar. Butter and caster sugar for souffl dishes. Icing sugar for dusting.
Method: Preheat oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mk 6. Prepare souffl dishes by lightly rubbing butter inside each one, and sprinkling with a little caster sugar. Pulp blackberries in food mixer, then pass through a sieve to extract pips. Squeeze juice of half a lemon into pure and add caster sugar. Taste and adjust balance according to your own taste. Place a dessertspoonful into each dish, place in fridge and chill. Whisk up egg whites with pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Add a third of the caster sugar. Whip up again and repeat process with rest of sugar to obtain a glossy finish. Very carefully whisk the fruit pure into the egg whites and divide between the four souffl dishes, smoothing the top into shape with a knife. Place dishes on a baking tray and put into oven for 4-5 minutes. As soon as you take them out of the oven, sieve the icing sugar over each one. Serve with a blackberry sauce and thick cream, or eat them just as they are.
SPICED PLUMS
Useful to have in your store cupboard for Christmas to go with colds meats and turkey.
Ingredients: 900g Victoria plums. 600ml malt vinegar. 25g powdered cinnamon. oz allspice. 1/4 oz mixed spice. 450g granulated sugar.
Method: Wipe and prick plums and place in a jar. Boil vinegar, spices and sugar until mixture becomes syrupy, then allow to cool and pour over plums. Strain off the syrup the next day, re-boil, cook and pour over plums. When quite cold, cover and store for 3 months before using.
RUNNER BEAN CHUTNEY
Come autumn time, I am continually asked for this recipe. If you are lucky you may be still picking your own runner beans – if not, they can still be bought in most supermarkets or greengrocers – here is this popular chutney recipe which keeps well.
Makes 4 – 5lb
Ingredients: 900g runner beans. 4 or 5 large onions. 700g Demerara sugar. 1 tablespoons mustard. 1 tablespoons cornflour. 1 tablespoons turmeric. 900ml malt vinegar. 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper.
Method: Put beans and onions through mincer before cooking in salt water until tender. Drain well. Put in pan with 700ml vinegar. Boil for hour. Mix cornflour, mustard, pepper and turmeric with rest of vinegar. Add to mixture with sugar and boil for 1 hour.
Next month sees the arrival of the annual Apple Celebration Day on 21st October, when we will have some tempting apple recipes to celebrate this important national event.
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Weather for Sudbury
Thursday 24 May 2012
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