I love Autumn! It’s such an amazing season, so much change, so much colour & so much seasonal yumminess! We’ve got three pears on our tree in the ‘orchard’, 2 fruit trees make an orchard don’t they? They’re hanging on in there, it’ll be our first ‘crop’, too excited for words!  The alleged ‘Pink Sparkle’ apple tree is having an amazing year with a bumper crop, I’m growing inpatient waiting for them to be ready to pick & it seems so are the squirrels! This may be war!!  The brambles have been making a run for it, they are prolific growers are they! I thought I had it all under control, relegating it to a patch under the fruit trees, but no, they are EVERYWHERE!!! Given that my gardening ethos runs along the lines of ‘the natural look’ with the emphasis on ‘slightly wild’ it really should come as no surprise! The benefits are a bountiful crop of rather delicious blackberries!! Once again I’m thinking impossible thought of growing my own, of working the ‘land’ and the book on self-sufficiency is out again… Maybe it will get done… Maybe..

The season of Autumn brings with it a change in our needs & wants with regards to food.  No more calling for refreshing salads, thoughts turn to hearty soups, veg laden stews & streaming hotpot, of crumbles & pies, syrup pudding & custard, & treacle pie & custard, of wholesome things & filling stodgy – warming, cosy comfort food & custard! And lets face it Autumn has well & truly arrived, like a switch, suddenly it was here! Cold, wet & cloudy, outdoor adventures to be rewarded with cake & hot chocolate & indulgence – it’s chilly, we need the extra calories to keep warm! Yep, of course we do…

The first crumble of the season has been made & it was divine! Apple, pear & blackberry with lashings of fresh homemade vanilla custard! It was the food of kings, with just enough let over for breakfast! The perfect amount made! I did forget the oats, but it just means I needs make it again to aim for perfection, with custard.

The change in flavours brings about a change of menu too & I’ve been having great fun, looking for old Autumn recipes, mouth drooling as I work and now I have the daunting task of putting it all into the menu.  Simply, there’s just too much loveliness to choose from. Old favourites such as sticky toffee are back with a potentially explosive twist, apples feature hugely starting with apple & cinnamon & ending with Queenies!! And Treacle, Autumn without a mention of Treacle is just wrong! Or pumpkin! Lovely, squishy, squashy pumpkin with hints of spice! Are you drooling, you should be! I haven’t even mentioned gingerbread yet, my utter delight! I LOVE to make gingerbread, & my modest (ahem..) collection of cutters is ready & waiting to tease into fantastical shapes & things, if only for my amusement!

Hugely looking forward to the traditional activities, the Autumn season creates, Harvest, gathering in the fruits of our labours! So pleased to see this becoming something we talk about again.  It seems to have become something taken for granted over the years, but with the resurgence of interest in where our British food comes from, it’s logical Harvest should now get a mention! The glorious taste of carving the pumpkin, although I remember it being a swede when I was youngun! How things change! I can’t wait for Hallowe’en & Bonfire Night!! And all the food & yumminess associated with them! Glorious feast of apples & spice & treacle!! I just can’t wait!

So I will try my best, to create the best Autumn Menu I can, full of warmth & delight, of morish mmm’s, & magical morsels, perfectly resplendent in the lovely Autumn light! Ready & waiting to tempt you at Treacle Market, at this seasonal time of year!