Crispy chicken thighs with griddled peaches, rosemary and honey

The promise of a glut of Autumnal fruit is swelling in the hedgerows. I think that our year of strange weather has been beneficial in it's own off-kilter way; the brambles along the lane jostle with little green blackberries, while there also looks to be a good crop of Wild cherry plums (albeit a late one, as everything is this year). In the interim we're making the best of the strawberries from the Pick your own, plus sunshine fruits like peaches and apricots. This subtly spiced chicken dish is perfect for a dusky evening supper, washed down with a crisp glass of dry rose.

2Tbsp Plain flour
2Tsp Ground cumin
6 Chicken thighs (skin left on)
3 Large peaches, cut in half with stones removed
A sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped from stem
2 Red onions, roughly chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Star anise
2Tbsp Honey
Salt & pepper

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the flour and cumin on a plate with a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Coat the chicken in the flour, then fry in a splash of oil until golden. Pop onto a baking dish and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
2 While the chicken is cooking, drain any excess fat from the frying pan and place back on the heat. Add the rosemary, garlic, onions, cinnamon and star anise, then keep on low so that the onions start to soften. Heat a griddle pan with a brush of olive oil, then cook the peach halves; cut side down first, then for a slightly shorter time on the underside.
3 Stir the honey into the softened onions, then spoon over the chicken and peaches.

Gooseberry and elderflower pies

I love the ease of a free-form fruit pie. No need for a tin or dish; just gather up the sides of the pastry and carefully press around the filling. You've essentially created a scruffy-looking pastry bowl; one that looks all the better for it's irregularity and absence of uniformity. Gooseberries are at their best right now; there's a wonderful Pick Your Own just down the road from us, and these little jade marvels were half the price of the Strawberries a few rows down - always a bonus. Makes 4 small pies.

700g Gooseberries
100g Granulated sugar
A generous splash of Elderflower cordial
600g Shortcrust pastry
1 Egg, beaten
Demerara sugar

1 Heat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Simmer the gooseberries on a low heat with the sugar and elderflower cordial for about 5 minutes; the berries need to soften slightly but still retain their shape.
2 Roll the pastry out on a floured surface until approximately 3mm thick. Place a dinner plate onto the pastry before trimming to leave a circular disc of pastry. Gently position a smaller, saucer-sized plate in the centre of the disc, then use the blunt back edge of a knife to lightly score an inner circle.
3 Spoon gooseberries into the inner circle, taking care not to go over the score line. Bring the pastry sides up around the sides of the filling, then shape around the fruit. If the filling sits a bit low in the pie once the sides have been brought up, spoon in a few more gooseberries. Brush the pastry with beaten egg, then sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
4 Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crumbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whatever takes your fancy.

Mojo pork skewers with Cuban coolers

Recipe & Food styling: Sara Buenfeld
Prop styling: Tony Hutchinson

Sunshine fruits in the garden

Forager's cookcard #1: Red clover

This is so simple to make and is a real thirst quencher. Red Clover flowers are abundant and easy to identify - if you're feeling flamboyant, a few strips of fresh Root Ginger work well in here too, as does a hearty slosh of Vodka when serving.

Red clover lemonade

A large bowl of fresh Red Clover blossoms

1 Litre of Water

5Tbsp Honey

The juice of 2 large Lemons

Heat the Clover flowers in one litre of water; bring to a near-simmer and stir intermittently for about fifteen minutes (keep a lid on the saucepan between stirs). Kill the heat, then stir in the honey until it has dissolved. Leave to cool, then strain the liquid through muslin into a fresh bowl. Squeeze in the Lemon juice, then chill the Lemonade in the fridge. Serve with slices of fresh Lemon, ice and a handful of fresh Clover flowers.

Jubilee celebrations at Appledrane HQ

Strawberry & Elderflower Eton Mess

Asparagus and wild sorrel tart

The Wild Sorrel season is a thing to cherish. It has such a unique flavour; the leaves contain Oxalic acid, giving them a lemony sourness that makes the mouth water with a burst of juicy tang. As with all Sorrels, one has to be careful not to eat too much, but these little Sheep Sorrel leaves are great in light, summery tarts and salads.

500g pack of shortcrust pastry

About 15 Asparagus spears, depending on size

A handful of wild Sheep sorrel leaves

The zest of half a lemon

75g Goat's cheese

3 Eggs

200ml Single cream

50g Finely grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Garlic mustard flowers, to serve (optional)

1 Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a 22cm tart tin with pastry (don't trim off any excess), then blind bake for 20 minutes (remove the parchment and baking beans after 15 mins). Allow to cool, then carefully trim off the overhanging pastry with a knife.

2 Reduce the oven to 180C/fan 160C/ gas 4. Arrange the Asparagus on the pastry base, making sure that the spears aren't sitting too close together. Crumble the Goat's cheese between the gaps, then scatter over the sorrel leaves and lemon zest.

3 Whisk the eggs and cream with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan, then carefully pour into the tart case. Any Asparagus or sorrel tips that are poking above the surface should be pushed back under (otherwise they might catch and  burn). Bake for 30 minutes, then serve warm or cold with a flourish of Garlic mustard flowers.

Pick your own

Green tomato ketchup

Over past two years I’ve become increasingly aware of a small child living in our house; a cheeky red haired girl who spoke very little until recently, but has begun to refer to me as “Da-da”. While not particularly forthcoming with rent, she has proved a welcome and enthusiastic companion in the garden - perhaps a little too so at times. Handfuls of green tomatoes are cast before me like jade marbles; I’ve learnt to dispel my horror at the premature harvest, and have whole heartedly embraced the concept of unripedom.

700g Green tomatoes
1 Green pepper
A small piece of root ginger, grated
2 Large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely sliced
A small handful of chopped carrot tops (optional)
100ml White wine vinegar
75g Light muscovado sugar
1Tsp Cumin seeds
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Groundnut oil
Salt and pepper

1 Finely chop the tomatoes and green pepper. Simmer the garlic, ginger, onion and cumin seeds in a shallow pan with some oil, then stir in the toms and pepper. Keep on the simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
2 Pour in the vinegar, then add the sugar, carrot tops, cayenne and some seasoning. Keep on the heat until everything has become soft and pulpy, then blitz in a food processor and squash through a sieve into a bowl. Pour the ketchup into sterilised bottles.

Scrumping in the apple orchard

Globe artichokes

Mary's peach tart

Fruity ice cups

Lashings of ginger beer