Pear and Orange Butter

This makes a very sweet, rich fruit spread. Good on scones or toast, dollop it on your porridge or sandwich a sponge together with it.

1.5 kilos of pears

300 ml water

juice and zest of half an orange

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Jam sugar (with added pectin)

1. Peel, core and dice the pears, then cook them, covered, in the water until they're soft. Purée by pushing through a sieve or using a stick blender.
2. Weigh the purée and for each 600g add 400g sugar. Add the orange juice and zest and the nutmeg.
3. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring up to a gentle boil
4. Boil until the mixture is thick and setting point has been reached (test a teaspoonful dropped on a cold saucer and let cool). How long this takes depends on how juicy your pears were, and hence how liquidy the mixture was to start with. It took mine about 25 mins.
5. Pour immediately into hot sterilised jars and seal.

I made 2 and a half 8oz/227g jars with this quantity.

Palak Paneer

A lovely mild but very flavourful Indian dish from the Punjab. This version is one I adapted from several recipes and found works best for me. Don't be put off by the list of spices, it's very simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 225g paneer, pan-fried until golden-brown on all sides
• 200g spinach leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp white mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt

Ground together with a little water to make a smooth paste:

• 1/2" chunk of ginger, peeled
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
• Pinch of fenugreek seeds

How to put it all together:

1. Cook the spinach in a closed container in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full - no need to add water. Squeeze out as much water as possible and chop roughly.
2. Heat the oil or ghee and fry the onions with the salt until golden brown.
3. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them sputter and pop
4. Add the spice paste, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until everything is fragrant
5. Add the spinach and the yogurt. Bring to a simmer, adding a very little water or extra yoghurt if it seems too dry for your taste
6. Add the paneer, and cook, stirring, until the cheese is heated through and spongy–about five to ten minutes.
7. Add salt to taste and serve with rice or Indian breads.

Damsons in Damson Liqueur

A fantastic way to preserve some of the season's bounty for winter, and if you make the jars look pretty, this is also good to give as a Christmas gift.

Makes approx 3 pint or half-litre jars

• 2 1/2 lbs damsons (or small prune plums)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2" piece of cinnamon
• 5 whole cloves
• Approx 1 1/2 cups good quality vodka

Prick each damson 2-3 times with a darning needle.

Combine water and sugar in a high-sided skillet and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add half the damsons to the liquid in a single layer. Return to the boil and cook, gently moving the damsons around in the syrup with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 mins. Remove the damsons to a 9 x 13" glass baking dish.

Repeat with the rest of the damsons, add those to the baking dish. Make sure all the damsons are in a single layer.

Pour the hot syrup over the damsons, cover immediately with clingfilm. Leave the damsons overnight, turning once or twice in the syrup.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the damsons to sterilized jars, filling them to about 3/4 full.

Transfer the syrup to a saucepan, add the cinnamon stock and cloves and bring to a boil. Boil until slighly thickened - you should have about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.

Strain the hot syrup through a fine mesh, then pour it over the damsons, filling each jar about half full. Let cool, then pour in the vodka. The liquid should cover the damsons completely.

Seal the jars, label and store in a cool, dark place. Rest for at least 2 months before opening, gently tilting the jars occasionally to mix the vodka and syrup. The damsons will keep almost indefinitely.

Lemon Walnut Hummus

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
• 2 garlic cloves

Directions

1. In a small skillet on medium-heat toast the walnuts for 3 minutes or so. Shake the pan every once in awhile while you toast to ensure an even toast.
2. Put the nuts aside to cool down.
3. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in the skillet for 30 seconds or so. Transfer this to a mortar and add cayenne pepper and grind to a powder.
4. In your food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, oil, garlic, ground spices and 1 tspn of the salt.
5. Rub the walnuts to remove most of their skin. Add the walnuts to your food processor and puree until smooth.
6. Add water one tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. Add in your pepper and olive oil to serve.

Cheese and Lentil Loaf

• 140g/5 oz cooked lentils (you can use red, green or brown)
• 140g/5 oz grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 45g/1½ oz wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• ½ tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp chopped herbs
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Mix together the lentils, cheese and onion in a bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place the mixture in a greased and lined loaf tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for approximately 35-45 minutes (the loaf should be firm to the touch). Let the loaf cool for a few minutes before lifting from the tin.

Serve with a good home-made tomato sauce.

Serves 2-3

Blackberry Syrup, or Cordial

• 600gm (1 1/4lb) blackberries
• 100gm (3 ½ oz) sugar
• 2tsp cinnamon pieces
• 2tsp whole cloves

Mash the fruit and strain through a sieve, pressing the fruit with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Add the liquid to a saucepan and to every 300ml (1/2 pint) of liquid, add 100g (3 1/2 oz) of sugar. Add the cloves and cinnamon. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly as the liquid reduces and thickens. Strain through a sieve to remove the spice pieces and pour into clean sterilized bottles. Store in refrigerator.

You can either use this as a fruit syrup, to pour over ice cream, pancakes etc, or dilute to taste with sparkling water.

Oven Roast Sweet Potato

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450° and lightly oil a baking tray.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1" wedges and put them in a good sized bowl. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes and then toss them to coat. Separately, mix the chili powder, thyme, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Sprinkle this over the sweet potatoes and then toss everything until the potatoes are well coated.
3. Arrange them in a single layer on the baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes,then turn them over and continue to bake them for another 15 minutes or so until tender and just barely golden brown.