A Friday cheer-me-up pudding

The weathers dreadful, the sky somehow feels way too low to be comfortable, and the news coming out of France over the last 48 hours is frankly appalling. Its difficult to know how to make anything better today. And so I do the thing I feel like I am best at, I cook. It helps, if only a little. Very few words are forthcoming, the wind has turned my brain to utter mush. I have nothing sensible or profound to say about food or life or terrorism or politics that will be helpful so I don't intend to try.

So just a straightforward recipe from my archive - a simple Eve's Pudding. Something I know is a comfort pud for me, and maybe for others. Its super easy, its got plenty fruit in it so may just count as one of your 5-a-day, but it will be eaten tonight (on the sofa, in front of the fire) with a puddle of full fat bring-it-on double cream. Never has a January day felt like it needed it more.

[taken from A Good Egg]

EVE’S PUDDING

For the sponge
120g golden caster sugar 120g unsalted butter 120g self-raising flour
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Demerara sugar (optional, but gives a lovely, slightly crunchy top)

For the filling
800g Bramley apples (about 3–4 medium) 50g golden caster sugar
1/2 lemon
A little butter, for greasing

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish. Peel and core the apples, then slice thinly, no thicker than a pound coin. Scatter half in an even layer over the base of the dish. Sprinkle over about half the sugar and squeeze over a little lemon juice.
Add the remaining apple, the rest of sugar and another squeeze of lemon. Set aside while you make the sponge. The sponge couldn’t be easier. Simply put all the ingredients (except the Demerara sugar) into a food processor and whizz until evenly combined. An electric whisk or food mixer would be a good alternative. You are looking for a batter that drops easily from a spoon. Spread the batter evenly over the apples and sprinkle over the Demerara sugar.
Bake for around 45 minutes until deep golden brown. Pierce with a skewer to test. The apple should be soft and the cake cooked. Best served warm rather than hot, with cream or custard. 

First photography day for The Joy of Eggs

A busy, busy week, with some lovely Fenland celery recipes, written & styled, and plenty of furious writing for my Soup! book, the deadline for which is looming rather large in my mind.

But today is all about planning and preparation for a truly exciting day tomorrow; the first proper day of photography for The Joy of Eggs book. This is the day when all my hard work gets translated into the pictures that will, literally, bring the book alive. I can see these pictures clearly in my mind, having been thinking about them for weeks now, and am really looking forward to bringing my vision to life.

The shoot is all about autumn and the onset of comfort eating, which to my mind means rich creamy sauces, deep earthy flavours and plenty of edible treats to bring us joy as the nights quickly lengthen into winter. It is also about those wonderful childhood rituals - autumn always was my favourite season of the year. Going back to school, the thrill of a brand new pencil case, crunching through piles of crisp burnt orange leaves, carving pumpkins into friendly monsters, rolling apples in molten toffee, being scared witless by screaming fireworks, the smell of woodsmoke in the air.....

I have many recipes to cook and style, including creamy wild mushrooms with baked eggs, pear & ginger cheesecake, cauliflower bhaji's, sage tagliatelle, a subtly spiced moussaka and some toasted coconut marshmallows. And we shall be eating like kings all weekend.

What does autumn mean to you?

Apples, pears & plums - a story of the amazing heritage varieties in my local greengrocer!!

What a lovely, & unexpectedly exciting, morning I have had, shopping in a small town called Keynsham. Halfway between Bath & Bristol, and a 10 minute drive from my house, its not the closest place to spend my money, but I do love the old fashioned high street stuffed with charity shops. I often go there looking for props for my food photography work.

But one of the main reasons I visit is to go to Buss's, a greengrocers that looks like it has been there for ever. The staff wear those knee length overcoats of the type seen in post-war ironmongers. Think Arkwright in Open All Hours. I love it.

So todays visit was all about the plums,  remembering from this time last year that they stock several interesting varieties that you definitely cannot buy at the supermarket. For supper club next weekend I am planning a plum, amaretto & almond crumble and I wanted to get a few different types to test out the recipe this weekend. Of the 9 varieties they had, some were sadly a day or so over ripe. Could it be that the people of Keynsham don't know whats good for them? I hope not, Buss's truly is a great community asset. I came away with a few Marjorie and a few Guinevere to see which make the nicest crumble.

Perhaps even more exciting than the plums was the whole shelving unit dedicated to heritage apples and pears grown at Brogdale Farm in Kent. Brogdale holds the National Fruit Collection and has over 4000 varieties, including apple types that Henry VIII would have enjoyed. "National Collections" are held for all genera of plants in different locations up and down the country. They are owned and supported by DEFRA principally as a genetic resource for future research.

I brought a few Laxton pioneer apples for munching just as they are, and 4 Siegnour Esperen pears for a recipe idea I am planning -  a pear & ginger baked cheesecake. The description on these squat, round little pears was: 'russet skin with firm cream flesh & an aromatic juicy flavour', which makes me feel they might just be perfect for the job. I shall let you know. Expect the recipe sometime next week....

So for those of you that are interested here is a list of the varieties Buss's had this morning. Apologies if I have written them down wrong - in my excitement they were hastily written down on the back of a receipt. If you live close enough to Keynsham perhaps you could go in and see for yourself.

PLUMS: President, Merryweather Damsons, Marjorie, Guinevere, Victoria, Valor, Edwards, Greengages (didn't specify type), Jubelium

PEARS:  Maxine, Triomphe de Vienne, Doctor Stark, Cheltenum Crob, Coscia, Nargilla, Doyeene George Boucher, Fondante d'autommne, Siegnour Esperen, Clara Frijs, Madam Fayre

APPLES: Fiesta red, Zomer Delicious, Garden Royal, Wilmuta, Emzo, Ribonde, Firs No 3, Karmijn de Sonnaville, Golden Aukilspur, Banns Margenrot, Macy Goldjour, Shinfeild seedling, Stirling Castle, Laxton pioneer