Recipe | No Bake Cheesecake

Photography by Emma Croman

Pretty as you please cheesecake, with fresh fruit and flowers doing decorative duty

You will need

170g digestive biscuits
100g unsalted butter, melted
300ml double cream
100g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
1½ lemons, zested and juiced
A handful of fresh berries (we used raspberries and blueberries), a sprig of thyme and edible flowers

To make

1 Line the base of an 18cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. Combine with the melted butter then press evenly into the base of the tin with the back of a spoon. Cover and put in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

2 Whip the double cream in a fresh bowl until it forms soft peaks. Sift in the icing sugar and add the cream cheese, lemon juice and zest. Fold the mixture until thoroughly combined.

3 Remove the cheesecake base from the fridge and spoon on the cream mixture, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon. Cover and return to the fridge for 2 hrs 30 mins, or until fully set. When ready, gently remove the cheesecake from the tin and decorate with fresh berries, thyme sprigs and edible flowers.

This is just one of the recipes from our Gathering feature in our April issue, which we’ve called ‘Dinner For Good’. The menu is for a charity supper club and also includes ideas for Smoked Salmon Rostis, Herb Focaccia, Courgette, Mint and Ricotta Polpette and more. Recipes are by Louise Gorrod and photography by Emma Croman.

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Recipe | Crab, Radish and Chilli Bruschetta

When the sun shows its face, let optimism win over the actual temperature and lure friends outside with something tasty… Or maybe just throw open the back door and tuck in indoors

This recipe for crab bruschetta will bring some spring zing to the lunch table and the promise of many more outdoor meals to come. Serve on crusty bread with big wedges of lime.

Serves 6

Ingredients

200g fresh crab meat
Zest and juice of ½ small unwaxed lemon
½ small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
50g mayonnaise
1 handful of finely chopped fresh parsley
6 slices of fresh crusty bread (such as sourdough or baguette)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
6 large radishes, finely sliced
2 small limes, cut into large wedges

To make

1 In a large mixing bowl, mix together the crab meat, lemon juice, chopped chilli, mayonnaise and half the chopped parsley.

2 Brush the slices of bread with the olive oil and rub them with the raw garlic clove, then toast on both sides under the grill.

3 Top each slice with the crab mix, then sprinkle with the remaining parsley and lemon zest. Top with the finely-sliced radish pieces and add a twist of freshly ground black pepper to each slice. Serve immediately with the lime wedges.

This recipe is from the gathering feature in our March issue, which is a ‘Plant Party’. Get together with friends to swap houseplants, seedlings, cuttings and seeds and when you’ve finished swapping, sit down to a seasonal lunch of crab bruschetta, halloumi, basil and beetroot skewers, ricotta and spinach dumplings and spring mixed pea salad with mint and pistachios. Finish with a homemade lemon and blueberry tart. The recipes and styling are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.

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Recipe | Rhubarb & Marzipan Cake

Topped with forced rhubarb and almonds, inside the crumb are chewy nuggets of marzipan

You will need

(Makes one large cake)

250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
70g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g marzipan, cut into
5mm chunks
100g forced rhubarb, in 5cm chunks
15g flaked almonds

To make

1 Preheat the oven to 160C/Fan 140C/ Gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.

2 In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

3 Meanwhile, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and juice in another bowl.

4 Stir in the vanilla extract and the marzipan chunks.

5 Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture briefly. You want this to be barely combined and still lumpy.

6 Transfer to the prepared cake tin and then arrange the rhubarb chunks and flaked almonds over the top.

7 Bake for 40-50 mins, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

8 Leave in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

This recipe is from our feature ‘Think Pink’ in our March issue, which also includes ideas for Pickled Rhubarb, Rhubarb & Ginger Negroni, and a Rhubarb, Beetrot and Goat’s Cheese Salad. The recipes are by Lottie Storey and the photography by Kym Grimshaw.

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Breakfast Rules | How To Do a Full English

Photography by Alamy

Where breakfast is concerned, we think if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing properly. Before you switch on the gas under your frying pan, read our ‘Full English Breakfast Rules’, which, if not actually enshrined in law, are certainly on the side of right.

1. Lard not butter for cooking sausages, please. It has a higher smoke point than butter so it achieves a crispier sausage without burning. It’s also high in Vitamin D. Who knew? Practically a health food. Vegetarians and vegans are permitted to use vegetable oil. 

2. A word about food-pairing: mushrooms should be eaten with sausages; bacon should be eaten with grilled tomato. Don’t ask us why; it’s just the rules. 

3. Hash browns have no place in a Full English (ignore the photo above!). Save them for your American breakfasts of pancakes that are a bit too thick and mis-monikered jams. If you need a bit of beige crunch it can be achieved by the addition of fried bread, the English Hash Brown. Fried potatoes are permitted if they are already cooked and left over from last night’s dinner. 

4. Beans should be served in a separate ramekin. It’s not about being fancy, it’s just about not mixing your yolk and your bean juice (or frantically chasing your beans round the plate with your fork until 11am).

5. Brown sauce is the best sauce. Tomato is acceptable. Anything else really belongs with another meal. 

6. You should include one, and no more than one, fancy extra. Black pudding for meat eaters perhaps? Grilled halloumi for vegetarians? But don’t stray too far from the original or before you know it you’ll be chopping smoked salmon and chives into your eggs, and then where will we be? 

7. Speaking of eggs… Obviously fried is best, sunny side up, with a yolk that spills all over the plate as you cut into it. Other types of eggs are available, but fried is really where it’s at.

8. Stay trad with your drinks. Orange juice or a good strong cup of tea, please. Absolutely no fancy milky coffees - we are not here for smashed avocado on sourdough type breakfasts. 

9. Toast should be served in a toast rack alongside your Full English (yes, as well as fried bread) to enable you to move seamlessly into toast and marmalade for ‘breakfast pudding’ from the same plate. Use your first piece of toast to mop up egg yolk and bacon fat as a sort of palate and plate cleanser before moving on to the marmalade or jam toast course. Toast plates are for wimps anyway. And you’ll save on the washing up. 

10. Finish with a(nother) cup of tea and the crossword if possible.

In our February issue, we look at the history of breakfast from cereals and grapefruit to fry-ups and fancier fare. Turn to page 84 to read more.

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Recipe | Cheese Fondue

How do you fondue? Think oozy, creamy and elastic, rather than too stringy.

Serves 6–8

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
200ml dry white wine
Juice of ½ a lemon
400g gruyère, grated
200g emmental, grated
Fondue pot with heater (optional)

1 Rub the inside of a large saucepan (or fondue pot, if using) with the garlic cloves.

2 Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, then start adding handfuls of the grated cheese, whisking between additions.

3 When all the cheese is added, change to a wooden spoon and use a figure of eight stirring method. When ready to serve, transfer the melted mixture to your fondue pot and bring to the table. The heater should keep the cheese warm but it may occasionally need re-stirring to keep the cheese loose. If you don’t have a fondue pot, bring your saucepan to the table and place on a trivet.

4 If the cheese cools down too much, you can reheat it and bring it back to the table. Enjoy it immediately by using skewers to dip chunks of bread, veg or potatoes into the fondue, but never dip meat into a communal pot.

FON-DOS
• Only dip bread and potatoes into your fondue – veg at a push, but never meat.
• Use a fine grater for cheeses that are firm enough to grate, crumble or finely dice softer cheese and avoid ready-grated cheese as these melt less easily.
• If you’re not using an electric fondue, heat the mix in a pan on the stove and transfer it to a table-top warmer when ready.
• If the mixture begins to separate or split, add a little lemon juice.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our feature ‘Cheese Please!’ from our February issue, which also includes recipes for side platters of roast potatoes, veg, bread and meats as well as a Beetroot Puree with Smoked Salmon, Raclette and a Black Forest Gateau.

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Recipe | Migliaccio (Shrove Tuesday Cake)

Traditionally baked in Campania, Italy, for Shrove Tuesday, its name is from the miglio (millet) once used to make it, now replaced by semolina.

Serves 12

Ingredients

400ml whole milk
¼ tsp salt
180g semolina
60g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
3 medium eggs
250g caster sugar
250g ricotta, drained
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp orange blossom water
100g dark chocolate chips
Icing sugar, for dusting

To Make

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Grease a 23cm springform tin and line with baking paper.

2 Put the milk, 400ml of water and salt in a pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and gradually add the semolina, whisking vigorously. Keep whisking for 2-3 mins to produce a thick paste, then take the pan off the heat and, while hot, add the butter. Stir well, then pour into a wide tray. Line the surface with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.

3 Put the eggs and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk at high speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture looks pale and frothy. With the mixer still going, add the ricotta, a spoonful at a time. Remove the plastic wrap from the semolina and break into chunks. While the mixer is still going, add the chunks to the egg mixture in batches, making sure each one is incorporated before adding more.

4 Add the orange and lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange blossom water to the mixture and whisk.

5 Add the chocolate chips and fold in by hand with a spoon or spatula.

6 Spoon the batter into the tin and level the surface. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 85-90 mins, or until the edges start browning and the surface turns golden with large cracks; it’ll have a slight wobble if shaken. Leave the cake to cool in the tin – it’ll deflate as soon as it leaves the oven, but this is normal. Once cool, transfer to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Cook’s note: Migliaccio can be stored in an airtight container or the fridge, but it should always be wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid drying out. It’s best served at room temperature.

Taken from Giuseppe’s Easy Bakes by Giuseppe Dell’Anno (Quadrille). Photography: Matt Russell

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Recipe | Coconut Marmalade Slices

Slice up to have a citrus-coconut piece to hand – works for any time, any place, anywhere.

Makes around 20 slices

You will need:
200g plain flour
25g icing sugar
50g polenta or cornflour
150g butter, cold and diced
1 egg

For the topping:
200g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
110g desiccated coconut
200g butter, softened
Zest of 1 Seville orange
125g polenta or cornflour
2 large eggs
2 heaped tbsp marmalade

1 Make the pastry by putting the flour, icing sugar and polenta (or cornflour) into a large bowl or food processor.

2 Add the diced butter and either rub it in with your fingertips or, if using a food processor, pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix again until the mixture comes together to form a dough.

3 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6 and grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm x 33cm tin with greaseproof paper.

4 Roll out the pastry and carefully line the tin (if it breaks, just patch it back together with your fingers). Prick all over and bake blind for about 15 mins. Leave to cool while you make the topping. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 170C/Fan 150C/Gas 3.

5 For the topping, beat together the sugar, almonds, coconut, butter, zest and polenta (or cornflour), then beat in the eggs.

6 Spread a thin layer of marmalade over the pastry base and spoon the topping carefully over the top. Bake for 30 mins, or until golden brown and set. If the bake starts to brown too much during cooking, cover loosely with foil halfway through. Once cool, slice into wedges.

This recipe is taken from our feature ‘That’s My Jam’, which includes several recipes made using marmalade such as Simple Orange Cake With Marmalade and Blood Oranges, Roast Chicken Thighs with Marmalade & Sweet Potato and Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding. The recipes are by Phillipa Vine and photography by Anna Rubingh.

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Sip one, purl one

A cockle-warming tankard of ale and gin, lifted with heady, woody spices and sweetened with sugar. It sounds like something out of a Charles Dickens story – and, indeed, it is.*

This mulled drink was popular in the nineteenth century, and it’s making a resurgence thanks in part to cocktail expert Tristan Stephenson. “Purl happens to be, in my eyes at least, one of the greatest warm winter pick-me-ups ever to grace a bar top,” he says. “Choice spices and herbs combine with malty beer, bitter wormword and the botanical aromatics of gin to form a delicious concoction similar to mulled wine.” Perfect for defrosting the extremities, and soothing the spirit, after a hard day’s sales shopping or a good winter walk.

Here is Tristan’s own recipe for a purl if you fancy making them to see in the new year. It’s from his book, The Curious Bartender’s Gin Palace (Hardie Grant).

For the Botanical Infusion:
150ml / 5 fl oz Plymouth Gin
3g crushed black pepper
3g bay leaves
3g sage
1g gentian root
1g wormwood
1g star anise
1g nutmeg
1g dried rosemary

For the cocktail (makes 700ml):
150ml of your botanical infusion
500ml or 2 cups brown ale
50g or 1/4 cup demerara sugar
50g or 1/4 cup caster sugar

Method

Macerate all the ingredients for the botanical infusion in a jam jar (or similar), leave for 2 weeks, then strain and reserve. You can speed this process up a little by pressurising the ingredients in a hand-held cream whipper, charged with a nitrous-oxide cartridge.
For the cocktail, build all the ingredients into a glass bottle or a large jar, allowing the sugar to dissolve. The cocktail can be enjoyed cold, straight from the fridge, or warmed up in its bottle. Adjust the sugar according to taste and feel free to play around with different styles of beer.

* In The Old Curiosity Shop he describes “a great pot, filled with some very fragrant compound, which sent forth a grateful steam, and was indeed choice purl, made after a particular recipe”.

A version of this blog was first published in November 2013.

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Recipe | Turmeric & Cumin Baked Cauliflower

Sunshine yellow and bejewelled with pomegranate, cauli gets its moment as star of the table.

Serves 4

1 whole cauliflower, leaves and stalk removed
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic granules
2-3 tbsp olive oil

For the garnish:
200ml natural yogurt
3-4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Small bunch coriander

1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil and place the cauliflower upside down inside. Boil for 5 mins. Drain and steam dry for 10–15 mins, then pat dry. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7.

2 Mix the cumin, turmeric, garlic granules and oil together in a small bowl. Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet (right way up) and brush all over with the mixture. Season and bake for 25–30 mins, or until the edges start to turn golden.

3 Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle over the yogurt, pomegranate seeds and coriander before serving.

This dish is from our ‘Spice Routes’ Gathering menu, which also includes Slow-Cooked Lamb, Spiced Rice with Saffron & Apricots, Honey & Harissa Roasted Carrots, Sumac Yoghurt and Fig & Custard Tart. All the recipes are in our January issue, which is in shops now.

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Recipe | Root Veg, Marmite & Cheddar Pie

A veggie centrepiece to knock their socks off. This moreish main course uses seasonal root veg in a comforting cheese sauce with a Marmitey twist.

Serves 3-4

You will need

250g King Edwards potatoes
200g celeriac, peeled weight
200g carrots, peeled weight
250g parsnips, peeled weight
325g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

For the sauce:
30g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
350ml whole milk
100g cheddar, grated
1-2 tsp Marmite (depending on if your guests are lovers or haters)

1 Peel the potatoes, celeriac, carrots and parsnips and cut into 1cm cubes. Put in a pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins, drain and steam-dry in a colander.

2 Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and give everything a gentle stir for a couple of minutes so the flour has a chance to cook. Next, gradually add the milk, stirring as you do, to make a thick sauce. Let it bubble for a minute, then stir in the cheddar and Marmite, some more salt and a turn of pepper. Gently stir in the root veg. Tip the mixture into a heatproof bowl and leave it to cool – and it’s important that the filling is cooled, otherwise it will melt the pastry.

3 Preheat the oven to 210C/Fan 190C/Gas 6-7. Cut two circles out of the puff pastry sheet – one around 18cm in diameter and the other a couple of centimetres bigger. Place the smaller pastry circle on a lined baking sheet. Pile the cooled filling in the middle in a dome shape, leaving a little bare rim of pastry around the outside.

4 Place the larger pastry circle on top of the filling and use a little water to glue the top sheet to the pastry border on the bottom sheet. Press the seams together with a fork, score a spiral shape in the top of the pastry, but don’t cut right through, and poke a little steam hole in the top. Brush the pie with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 mins, or until golden brown and crisp

This root veg pie is just one of the recipe from our December Veg Patch Pantry, in which Kathy Slack serves up ideas for growing, harvesting and eating with the seasons. This month’s pages also have recipes for Cumin Roast Root Veg Salad, Celeriac Gnocchi with Hazelnuts & Parmesan, Root Veg Gratin and a Root Veg Remoulade. Photography is by Kirstie Young.

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Recipe | Chai Spiced Shortbread

This is a classic shortbread recipe with a little sprinkle of some of those spices you find in masala chai.

Ingredients

Serves 4

250g soft butter
70g golden caster sugar
250g plain flour
60g cornflour
Pinch of fine salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground green cardamom
¼ tsp ground black cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves

How to make

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ Gas 5. Meanwhile, whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined and fluffy.

2 Sift in the flour, cornflour, salt and spices and mix gently – you don’t want to go crazy here as overworking the dough isn’t good.

3 Once combined, press the shortbread dough into a baking tray lined with baking paper. You can also use a sandwich cake tin if you’d prefer. Use a fork to make little holes and gently mark out the wedges or finger shapes that you’ll cut later.

4 Bake for about 1 hr. Remove from the oven and cut through your markings while still a little warm. Allow to cool and enjoy with a cup of masala chai.

This recipe is just one from our feature East, West, Home’s Best, which is taken from Modern South Asian Kitchen by Sabrina Gidda (Hardie Grant) with photography by Maria Bell. The other recipes include Aloo Gobi Hash with Fried Egg & Green Chutney, Tunworth Cheese Naan, Butter Chicken Pie and Ginger & Jaggery Pudding.

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Tipple | Hot Cranberry Toddy

Boozy or not, this hot cocktail looks almost too pretty to drink and is a warming, wintry way to welcome guests or just to enjoy a quiet, dark November night at home. It’s a good way to warm up after you’ve been watching the fireworks, too.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 satsumas, peeled and segmented
5cm of fresh ginger root
8 x star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp juniper berries
4 x 10cm cinnamon sticks
1ltr unsweetened cranberry juice
2 tbsp honey
2 shots of whisky (optional)
for the topping:
2 tbsp unrefined golden sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon

To make

1 Place all the ingredients (except for the topping ingredients) into a large pan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, while stirring, for 10 mins.

2 Meanwhile, mix the topping ingredients in a dish. Slightly dampen the top of each glass with a little water, then dip into the sugar mix.

3 Strain the hot spiced cranberry juice through a sieve into each glass, then add two star anise, a cinnamon stick and a few satsuma segments to each glass to garnish.

4 Add half a shot of whisky to each, if desired, and serve while still warm.

This Hot Cranberry Toddy is just one of the recipes from our November Gathering Pages, which we’ve called ‘Craft-A-Peel’. It’s a menu of snacks and finger foods to fuel you and a few friends while you make decorations for winter together. It also includes recipes for Pomegranate and Goat’s Cheese Bites, French Chestnut Soup, Spiced Flatbreads, Stollen Traybake and a Turmeric Hot Tipple. The recipes and styling are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.

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Recipe | Sausages with Green Lentils & Salsa Verde

Move over mash! Pair your bangers with lentils for a rich and filling feast with a little kick.

Serves 4

300g green lentils (we got ours from hodmedods.co.uk)

Olive oil

250g bacon lardons

1 onion, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 pork sausages

A splash of cider vinegar

For the salsa verde:

1 small bunch of basil, finely chopped

1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped

1 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 anchovy fillets

How to make

1 Rinse the lentils in cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins.

2 To make the salsa verde, place the herbs, garlic and capers in a blender. Add the vinegar, olive oil and anchovies, along with a good pinch of salt and black pepper, blitz to combine. Check the seasoning, adding more if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the lardons and fry for about 5 mins, or until crispy and golden. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook for 10 mins more over a medium–low heat, or until they’re very, very soft but without much colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.

4 Add the soaked and drained lentils and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir until they’re well coated with the oil and veg, then add enough cold water to cover the lentils by about 1cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins, or until tender, topping up with a little more boiling water if necessary.

5 With the lentils cooking, fry the sausages in a little oil for 8–10 mins, or until cooked. Remove from heat.

6 Remove the lentils from the heat and add a splash of vinegar to taste. Check the seasoning. Serve the lentils with the sausages and a big dollop of the salsa verde.

This recipe is taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin. The sausages with lentils are just one of the ideas for autumnal recipes featured in our November issue.

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Recipe | Roasted Squash Polenta

SERVES 4 (as a side with leftovers, or two as a main)

1 large or 2 smaller squash, such as Butternut, Crown Prince or Kuri (approx 1kg)
1 bulb of garlic
A handful of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay ~
1.5ltr chicken or veg stock
2 tbsp butter
12 sage leaves (optional)
200g instant cook polenta
75–100g freshly grated cheese, such as parmesan or a nuttier, creamier, fondue-style cheese, like gruyère

1 Preheat your oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a roasting tin in the oven, on the top shelf, to warm up.

2 Carefully halve your squash. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or save for roasting or grow to make pumpkin microgreens). Season the squash. Halve the garlic bulb horizontally. Tuck the garlic halves and herbs in the ‘bowl’ of the squash. Slide into the oven and roast for 45 mins, or until the squash is tender and nicely coloured. Check a few times during cooking. Remove the garlic once it’s squeezably tender as it may finish cooking before the squash.

3 Once the squash is cooked, bring your stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Scoop the squash flesh out, discarding the herbs. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins. Mash the squash and garlic with the back of a fork; set aside.

4 Heat a large saucepan or pot. Add 2 tbsp butter. Gently fry the sage leaves in the melted butter until just crisp. Remove the leaves with a fork, leaving any residual butter in the pan.

5 Add the polenta and half of the simmering stock to the sage buttered pan or pot. Whisk until smooth, slowly adding more stock until it’s a nice texture – like a creamy maize porridge. Fold in the mashed garlicky squash and most of the grated cheese. Add more stock to ensure a smooth, creamy consistency, as needed.

6 Take off the heat if it thickens too quickly. Pour the polenta into dishes or on to a platter. Top with crispy sage leaves, extra pepper and the remaining cheese.

Cook’s note: While heavenly with autumnal game or red meat dishes, you could also serve this as a vegetarian main (just check that your cheese has vegetarian rennet).

This polenta recipe is from our regular Home Economics series by Rachel de Thample. The feature includes a recipe for Polenta Gnocchi, which you can make with the leftovers from your roasted squash polenta, as well as a raft of ideas using autumnal venison, mushrooms, hazelnuts and more.

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Recipe | Bobbing Apples Cake

An excellent cake for October, or any time really. Good warm or cold

Serves 10-12

150g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3-4 large dessert apples
1 lemon, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
150g golden caster sugar, plus 4 tsp
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml soured cream
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150ml double cream
2 tbsp Calvados

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin.

2 Use a melon baller to make rounds of apple (keep the skin on). Aim for 36 balls.

3 Mix the lemon juice with 3 tsp of caster sugar; stir through the apple balls. Set aside.

4 Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract and 200ml soured cream.

5 Fold in the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and push the apple balls into the cake mix, skin-side up. Bake for 50 mins until firm to the touch.

6 As soon as the cake is out of the oven, sprinkle over 1 tsp of caster sugar. Leave to cool for 15 mins then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

7 Whip the double cream to soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining soured cream and Calvados. Serve the slices of cool or warmed cake with the Calvados cream.

Cook’s note: If you don’t have a melon baller, you can cut the apple into chunks. You can also add a little ground cinnamon to the cake mixture if you like. If you don’t have Calvados, you could mix the cream with elderflower cordial instead.

Taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients and reflect the influence of the seasons. By Emily Davenport, Kathryn Hawkins, Clare Lewis and Wendy Veale. Photography by Steve Lee. Available from dairydiary.co.uk

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Tipple | Hedgerow Fruits Gin

You might find windfall fruit on your adventures, or snaffle some sloes to make a gin – a bottle has great gift potential.

Makes 34 servings

You will need

600ml good quality gin

150g light brown muscovado sugar

Plums or damsons (about 450g, halved, stoned and sliced; you could also use bullaces which are in season from October to November), or sloes (approx 500g, each pricked with a fork; like rosehips, sloes should be picked after the first frosts)

How to make

1 Pour the gin into a large sterilised jar and add the sugar. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.

2 Wash the fruit and add to the jar then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months, stirring weekly.

3 When the gin has developed a good, fruity flavour, strain it through muslin, discard the fruit and pour into sterilised bottles. Store for at least 1 month before drinking.

4 Serve the gin chilled, over ice. For a long drink, top up a shot of the fruity gin with apple juice or elderflower tonic, or add a dash of cherry brandy and pour in champagne for a cocktail.

Cook’s note: Sloes are tarter than plums/damsons, so you may want to increase the sugar to 225g. If you don’t want to prick the sloes, you can freeze them overnight to split the skins.

Tipple taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients. Available from dairydiary.co.uk. Our Gathering pages feature recipes by Matt Long and photography by Jonathan Cherry.

The Hedgerow Fruits Gin is just one of the recipes from our October Gathering pages, which we’ve called ‘To The Woods!’ The ideas are inspired by Scouting adventures and include Pickled Elderberry Capers, Hot Rosehip Drink, Potato Salad, White Cabbage Sauerkraut, and Walnut & Tahini Brownies, as well as plenty of things to make, do and play out in the woods this autumn.

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Recipe | Green Tomato Salsa

This simple side dish adds some gentle heat and vivid colour to any meal, from barbecued fish and meats to an omelette or cheese on toast. Best eaten in the garden.

Serves 1, or 2 as a garnish

125g green tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine everything in a bowl and leave for 10 mins so the flavours can mingle before serving.

This recipe is from our Veg Patch Pantry feature in our September issue. The recipes, which use seasonal vegetables, include a Traybake of White Fish with Courgettes, Tomatoes and Peppers, Hedgerow Blondies and Thyme Buttered Plums with No-Churn Plum and Clotted Cream Ice Cream. The recipes are by Kathy Slack and the photography by Kirstie Young.

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Tipple | Turmeric Gingerade

A refreshing tipple for grown-up fans of a Blytonesque picnic

You can make this gingerade in advance and keep it in the fridge ready to add to your picnic hamper just before you leave the house.

Serves 6–8

1.3 ltr fresh apple juice

1 tbsp fresh turmeric root, grated

1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

Juice of 2 large lemons

1 bottle of sparkling water

1 fresh orange, sliced, to serve

Handful of fresh mint sprigs, to serve

1 Place the apple juice, turmeric, ginger and lemon juice into a blender and blitz until smooth (you may need to do this in two batches).

2 Pour into a glass bottle or Thermos flask and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

3 To serve, fill a glass two thirds full with the apple juice mix and top up with sparkling water to taste. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a slice of orange.

The Turmeric Gingerade is just one of the recipes from our feature ‘Take the Lead’ in our September issue, which is a menu and ideas for a picnic and dog walk with friends. The other recipes include Veggie Frittata, Late Summer Salad, Roasted Goats’ Cheese Stuffed Figs and Apple & Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Muffins. There’s even a recipe for some homemade dog treats! The recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography by Rebecca Lewis.

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Recipe | Tandoor Lemon Chicken with Mango & Coriander Salad

In our September issue you’ll find a Weekend Project to help you make your very own Flowerpot Tandoor. Moist and full of flavour, this a great recipe to test out on your tandoor. You’ll find the instructions for the Tandoor on page 96 of the September issue.

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs, slashed through the skin to the bone a few times

For the marinade:

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 small shallot (or ½ small red onion), roughly chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp light brown sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)

1 tsp Chinese five-spice

For the salad:

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp light brown sugar

3 tbsp cold water

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 unripe mango, cut into thin matchsticks

1 small shallot (or ½ small red onion), thinly sliced

A small bunch of coriander, finely chopped

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 In a blender, whizz all the marinade ingredients together to form a coarse paste, then toss the chicken in the marinade until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr, preferably overnight if possible.

2 When ready to cook, preheat the tandoor to a medium heat. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 20 mins before you plan to cook it, to bring it up to room temperature.

3 Thread the chicken onto metal skewers (long enough for the top of the skewer to be easy to grab out of the tandoor) and cook for about 15–20 mins, or until the skin is crisp and richly browned. Remove and brush with the remaining marinade, then cook for a further 15 mins, or until the meat is cooked through. Take out of the tandoor and set aside to rest for 5 mins.

4 Meanwhile, place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve alongside the chicken.

Cook’s note: Cooking times can vary with the tandoor, so check your chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving.

Taken from The DIY BBQ Cook Book: How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast by James Whetlor (Quadrille). Photography: Sam Folan

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Recipe | Summer Panzanella with Anchovies

Pretty tins and the canned fish inside them make for fresh summer dishes that can transport you from the back garden to the Medterranean or Atlantic coast. Mackerel, tuna, sardines and anchovies have been storecupboard staples for over 200 years, now enjoying a renaissance – good for you too.

Serves 4

300g Sourdough bread, 2–3 days old, cut into cubes
300g mixed tomatoes
1 small cucumber, peeled, sliced and cubed
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Small jar mixed olives
1 x 50g tin anchovies, drained and cut into small pieces
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for the bread)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Bunch of basil, torn into pieces

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/Gas 6. Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season. Bake for 10 mins until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2 Add the tomatoes to a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for 5 mins. Then add the cucumber, onion, olives and anchovies and mix.

3 Add the bread and pour over the olive oil and vinegar, followed by salt, pepper and the torn basil. Mix together thoroughly, taste, and adjust the oil or vinegar as needed. Serve with fresh basil as a garnish

This recipe is one of the ideas from Catherine Frawley’s feature, Changing Your Tuna, in our July issue, which includes several recipes for tinned fish, including Mackerel Burgers, Nicoise Salad, Spaghetti with Sardines and Capers and Sardine Traybake.

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