autumn falls, crisp days and food to mark the change of season

Ooooh I do love a good crisp day, wooly hat on the head, cool air on the nose. Lovely stuff. And the blackberries, we always look forward to getting out and scrummaging for blackberries to turn into jam and compotes for the winter porridge - yum. 

The autumn forage has always had a little thrill to it, but this year even more so as I discovered I had moved to an area rich in hazelnut and crab apple trees. While they are fiddly to clean up, the flavour of crab apples is amazing, and its super high pectin levels make it an ideal base for apple and blackberry jam. And while my sourdough wasn't quite something to write home about - despite the wonderful guidance of Vanessa Kimbell - my foraged hazelnuts did wind their way into the best homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread (page 96, go straight there) it was all worth it.

The crispy, crunchy leaves have also had me think a lot about textures and tastes and using what is to hand. Sour cherries, picked green tomatoes, crispy apple slices and yogurt, and crunchy, nutty granola bars - who said autumn cooking had to be complex? I particularly love Nik Sharma's cherry and black pepper granola bars - the pepper adding a very moreish warmth to the sweetness of the maple syrup.

Now, off to finish off that hazelnut spread....