Scrummy Cakes and Garden Pleasures

That Autumn feeling is in the air. The scent of golden leaves underfoot and a certain change in atmosphere. So difficult to describe, yet a sensation we all know so well.

From September onwards, the perfume of apples greets me when I fetch garden tools from the shed. Now and then a ripe, juicy plum will drop from the tree. If it’s undamaged I bring it in and enjoy the combination of sweet and sharp tastes. Will have to harvest soon and freeze them for jam. Especially good with apple. A pleasant job on a cold wintry day.

At this time of year fungi pop up around the garden. I love it. They’re so fascinating. Only white ones so far but sometimes I find something a bit more surprising. I’m keeping a look out.

The last photo shows a nibbled one. Probably a mouse has gnawed the surface by the look of the marks.

The colours are deepening on some leaves which helps to make up for the lack of flowers.

We visited our local nursery and brought home a boot load of lovely plants. Winter pansies, cyclamen hederifolium, dianthus, tiny campanula and a gorgeous hydrangea.

A little friend has been joining us around the garden. Too elusive to take a good photo but here’s a glimpse.

Runner beans are still producing. If I find swollen ones I just remove the fat seeds and cook those instead of the stringy pods. Just as delicious. Their lovely rosy colour is lost, unfortunately, when they’re cooked but they taste good.

The seeds inside are kidney beans and they’re nutritious. Simply remove them from the pods and cook them for at least ten minutes. The discarded pods will make excellent compost.

I keep thinking the cucumbers have finished and then I find some huge ones hidden by the leaves. So, I’ve been pickling again. Mixed with sliced onions they have a good flavour. Can’t have too many pickles, in my opinion!

As I promised last week, I have a new recipe for you. Using seasonal cooking apples again but this time I thought I would mix them with walnuts. A really nice combination and easy to make.

Apple and Walnut Squares

500g Cooking apples
200g Brown Sugar
4 large Eggs
225g Self-raising Flour
2 rounded teaspoons Baking Powder
25g Bran
200g Sunflower Oil
75g Walnuts

Grease a large baking tin or roaster,30x25cm (12x10 inches).
Half fill a bowl with salted water (roughly 1 tablespoon salt to 500ml water).
Peel, core and quarter the apples and place in the salted water until needed.
Break the walnuts into pieces and set aside.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven.
Put the sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bran and oil into a mixing bowl. Beat well, then add walnut pieces and mix again.
Drain the apples. No need to rinse. Chop them into small chunks.
Add the apples to the mixture and mix in.
Spread in the baking tin and bake for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool, then cut into squares. Lift out with a cake spatula.
These are even better when a day or two old. Freeze well.
Make a good pudding, warm or cold.

A lovely way to spend an hour on a rainy day, with a tasty reward later. One of life’s great pleasures. A warm, fragrant kitchen, the satisfaction of doing something creative and a delicious cake to eat when you relax.

I hope you’re finding your own pleasures. Enjoy all that the season offers. I’ll be with you again soon, but I’ve decided to do another post a bit later because I don’t want my readers to be tired of my blog. I still love doing it but I know we all have busy lives and sometimes things can lose their appeal. So, I will be with you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.