Six scrumptious recipes that make the most of the riches the countryside has to offer

FRUITY COLESLAW

• handful mixed seeds (e.g. sunflower and pumpkin) • 4 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt • 3 tbsp mayonnaise • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard • 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped • 1 celeriac, peeled, grated • 3 carrots, peeled, grated • ½ red cabbage, very thinly sliced • 2 eating apples, thinly sliced • Handful of sultanas

Method: 1. Heat a pan and add the seeds. Lightly toast on medium heat until slightly brown.
2. Mix yogurt, mayo, mustard and parsley. Pour over veg, apples and sultanas, toss through and season. Sprinkle over seeds and serve.

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

• 1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and deseeded • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp butter • 2 onions, diced • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced • 2 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped • 850ml hot vegetable stock • 4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus more to serve

Method: 1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with half the olive oil. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.
2. While the squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic and ¾ of the chilli. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.
3. Tip the squash into the pan, add the stock and the crème fraîche, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraîche and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.

MINI MUSHROOM TARTS

• 375g block all-butter puff pastry • flour, for dusting • 25g butter • 300g mixed wild mushrooms or just one type, cleaned and sliced • 25g Parmesan, finely grated • small handful parsley leaves, chopped • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 1 egg, beaten

Method: 1. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut out 4 circles, about 15cm wide. Leave to chill on a lined baking tray in the fridge.
2. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat a large frying pan until hot, then add the butter and fry the mushrooms for 5 mins until there is no liquid left in the pan. Season, then take off the heat and mix mushrooms with the Parmesan, parsley and garlic.
3. Score a 1cm border around the edge of each tart, then spoon the mushrooms into the centre circle. Brush the edge with beaten egg, then bake the tarts for 20 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately.

GOOD OLD BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRUMBLE

For the crumble topping: • 120g plain flour • 60g caster sugar • 60g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces. For the fruit compote: • 300g Braeburn apple • 30g unsalted butter • 30g demerara sugar • 115g blackberries • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon • vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method: This method cooks the crumble separately to avoid uncooked mixture on top of the compote.
1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.
2. Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.
3. To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

YUMMY PEAR CAKE

• 50g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin • 500g ripe buttery pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped • juice 1 lemon • 75g plain flour • 1 heaped tsp baking powder • 75g caster sugar • 2 eggs, beaten • 2 tbsp apricot jam, for the glaze • icing sugar, for dusting • crème fraîche, to serve

Method: 1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment and brush with butter.
2. Put the prepared pears in a bowl with the lemon juice, to prevent them discolouring. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, adding a pinch of salt and the caster sugar. Next beat in the eggs and melted butter. Finally, fold in the pears with their juices. Pour the cake mixture into the tin. Bake for about 50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin, gently peeling away the parchment.
3. To make the glaze, melt the apricot jam with 1 tbsp water and pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Brush the cake with the glaze, dust with icing sugar and serve warm with crème fraîche.

SCRUMPTIOUS AUTUMN CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 175g butter, plus extra for greasing • 500g plums • 175g light muscovado sugar • 175g self-raising flour • 175g ground hazelnuts • 3 eggs • 1 tsp baking powder • 50g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa), chopped • 2 tbsp hazelnuts • 2 tbsp redcurrant, damson or plum jelly

Method: 1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a round 20cm cake tin. Halve and stone 4 plums, set aside for later, then roughly chop the remaining plums.
2. Put the sugar, butter, flour, ground hazelnuts, eggs and baking powder into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins, until smooth and light. Stir in the chopped plums and chocolate, then tip into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
3. Arrange the halved plums over the top of the mixture, pressing them down lightly, then scatter over hazelnuts. Bake for 40-50 mins until the top is golden and the cake feels firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out, remove the paper and cool on a wire rack. Heat the jelly, then brush over the top of the cake before serving.