Autumn…

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”

What is it about the beginning of Autumn? Does it hark back to the start of a fresh school term with a new, slightly over-sized & over-starched white shirt, achingly-shiny shoes that threaten to rub the smallest but most sore patch on your little toe. The tingle of excitement at the thought of meeting a new teacher and the promise of a whole new chapter of learning, stretching out before you? The countdown to Christmas….

At our age, it’s possibly more likely to be the excitement of a new wardrobe. The end of bearing rather too much flesh. There’s no hiding our short-comings in an above-the-knee, strapless sundress, let’s face it. The thought of a chill in the air and the cosiness of a new roll neck jumper, may suddenly seem rather appealing.

Or it might be the thought of a glass of red in front of the fire…after all, one can indulge in one too many bottles of rosé over the course of the summer..…apparently.

Maybe we’ve had it up to herewith salmon mousse, strawberries & cream and iced, minty mojitos. It’s well and truly time for recipes that use up the glut of the season right now. Squishy tomatoes still ripen in the Autumn sunshine, plums brim with succulent juice and hang heavily from the tree. Tiny fresh-green jalapeño chillies are ready to add heat to your dish. Rose-fleshed apples and dusty yellow pears team up with freshly-harvested walnuts and perhaps a lump of melting Camembert for a quick lunch under the gentle heat of a weakening sun.

There’s a distinctive scent in the air, caused by fallen leaves, damp earth and a hint of wood smoke. So, as the misty mornings roll in and you’re considering what to prepare for supper, embrace the abundance of all things Autumn and think seasonal.

It’s what our favourite cookery book writer, JANE LOVETT, is so very good at. Marrying seasonal products together to make a dish that celebrates the time of year, is what she’s all about. We’ve picked out just a couple of dishes here to tempt you, from her latest book “Deliciously Simple” (which is exactly what its title suggests). All four of Jane’s books are available to buy in our shops and also online. We promise you, they will be the most-used cookery books on your kitchen shelf.

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Plum & Almond Cake

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Jane makes this heavenly cake with Victoria plums in early autumn. There’s a surprise in the middle in the form of diced marzipan, which distributes a lovely gentle almond flavour throughout the cake. 

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Serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche, double cream or vanilla ice cream, or try it with the Spiced Plum Compote.

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Both the cake and the compote are included in "Deliciously Simple" by Jane Lovett. Shop your copy here.

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Buy your copy now, so that you can create this deliciously simple cake that celebrates all things Autumn!

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Beetroot, Goats’ Cheese, Watercress & Hazelnut Salad 

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There are all sorts of pleasing sensations going on in this simple jewel-coloured salad – peppery, spicy watercress, creamy mild cheese, crunch from the nuts, sweet, earthy beetroot and crisp bursts of fresh fruitiness from the pomegranate seeds. Served on individual plates, it makes a lovely starter or side salad, or piled onto one platter, it makes a lovely main course salad in its own right. If you buy the beetroot ready-cooked, it is little more than an assembly job!

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Pop these jewels into your Autumn by buying Jane's latest book "Deliciously Simple". Available in our stores on online a Shop your copy here.

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So, pick up the phone, invite a gang of friends over for lunch on Sunday and knock out a few corkers from any of her books. Catch up with those you’ve not seen all summer and swap horror stories about exam results, dull weddings and jelly fish stings. All followed by an Autumnal Feast, fit for a (newish) King.

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Or, if just a glass of cider with Rosie is more your thing, rustle up a batch of Jane Lovett’s Salted Lemon Almonds for her and sit in the garden pontificating about just how fab England is, in this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…

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P.S. If it’s a “crisp new white shirt” you’re after to capture that nostalgic “back to skool” feeling, pop into one of our stores to see our collection. And we are celebrating the new season with jumpers in shades of pumpkin, apple, plum & moss, trousers in sage & raspberry, skirts in conker & vanilla and jackets in champagne & prune (now there’s an idea…..)

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“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”

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― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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