Autumn has always been my favourite season, however, since Mr H started work at a boarding school I don’t love it quite so much. He only has Sundays off during term time and in the autumn and winter, it doesn’t feel enough time. I do, however, love the change of seasons and the move to comforting cooking: rich stews, roasted game and autumn fruits.
I love crisp walks through the vineyard below us and the smell of wood smoke in the village. I often try to get a bit ahead for the week on a Sunday, which inevitably means a little batch cooking and some baking; maybe including my favourite autumnal cake, (see below).
It seems this year has been a super year for pears and apples. The pear tree in my dad’s garden has been really prolific and we have had loads of slightly overripe pears to contend with. Pears always seem rather tricky to grow and some years they seem to bear fruit better than others. I’ve always hankered after an espaliered pear tree in the garden.
This lovely article in Gardenista magazine is packed with information about growing pears, including a cheat sheet, how to pick and store pears and companion planting. It is accompanied by some stunning photography.
Pear blossom is utterly stunning and if you are ever in Herefordshire at blossom time seek out a Perry or cider apple orchard, the scent and sight is something to behold.
RECIPE FOR PEAR AND ALMOND CAKE .
Pear and almond cake always reminds me of those gorgeous pear frangipane tarts you get in France. This is a super easy take on that lovely recipe but as a cake. it’s delicious served with a dollop of creme fraiche as a warm pudding and equally lovely cold with a cup of tea. This is a really well-behaved cake; you can swap the pears for apricots, or halved plums and it will be equally delicious.
Ingredients:
140g butter or baking marg
140g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
110g self raising flour
30g ground almonds
1 heaped dessertspoon greek yoghurt
a couple of drops of almond extract.
a couple of pears peeled and sliced into thick slices. (about a finger thick)
Method
Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy and add the eggs one at a time.
Mix in the yoghurt and almond extract. Gently fold in the flour and almonds. Don’t beat it in vigorously or it will be a heavy sponge; a light hand is the key to a lovely tender sponge.
Tip the mix into an 8” loose bottom cake tin and place the pear slices on top of the mix like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
Bake in a preheated oven 180 degrees till golden and cooked. (Every oven is different so I can’t be exact but in my Everhot, it takes about 20minutes.)
I often bring back little sachets of vanilla sugar from France and I sprinkle a little of this on when it comes out of the oven, for no other reason than the smell makes me feel like I am in the patisserie queue in France!
There is something particularly pleasing about the shape of pears; they are one of my favourite things to draw and also a really nice thing to draw or paint if you are just getting into art as a hobby. I wanted to practise painting with acrylics which was a medium I wasn’t really comfortable with so it was a pear that I did first.
I really like mixing up my art materials too , you don’t have to be wedded to one medium for an entire picture, these pears are done with a mix of watercolour, ink, coloured pencil and finaliser pen. I do think art as a hobby is all about enjoyment and freedom.
Whatever you are up to this weekend, whether its a crispy autumnal walk or some baking or art and craft, I hope you have a lovely peaceful weekend.