I’m an old fashioned type of bloke who likes distinct seasons, so I should be as happy as a pig in you know what. And I am really, it’s just come as a bit of a shock to the system to suddenly be plunged into proper autumn. Wind, rain, a carpet of fallen leaves, and chilly…..I mean really quite chilly. Added to that we had darkness at 5.00pm today, so the curtains are drawn and the woodburning stove is cheerfully ablaze, amber flames dancing behind its glass windows. This is classic old fashioned autumn weather of yore, when ruddy faced children in knitted Balaclava helmets played conkers, and stuffed straw into cast off clothing to make Guys that would sit atop conical bonfires. Then indoors to toast bread on a long handled fork over glowing red coals in the open fire (long before the woodburner became all the rage).

That’s a rose tinted look back to my childhood. Those primary school years were wonderful, mostly spent outdoors, mostly very active, and mostly very creative. Making things from this and that, constructing dens, building go-karts using old pram wheels, and playing games in the street. What larks Pip, what larks. However, I hated those woolly Balaclava helmets with a passion! My mother must have used the harshest most whiskery itchy wool in Christendom when she knitted mine, it was torture to wear it, and doubly so if it got wet. I had a constant battle with her every time she roughly pulled it over my head, protestations and tears ignored, but she was not one to be messed with! If Childline had existed back then I think that I would have had the number on redial! happy days.

I have made comment here before at this time of the year about how I can hear the deer rutting in the woods beyond the market garden, snorting and bellowing as the bucks determine who is to be ‘The Daddy’ for the mating season. Young upstarts challenge the dominant male in an attempt to topple him from his throne, locking antlers in violent combat. One morning last week as I proceeded along the drive on my way to work a large buck crossed just in front of me and headed from the woodland out into the open parkland. He was limping quite badly and only one of his magnificent antlers was present, he looked a sorry sight. Whether he was a young pretender who had come off second best in his joust, or the old boy who had finally been banished, I can not say. I just hope that his wounds were not serious and that he will live to fight another day.

Despite the dodgy back I did some more apple picking last week. With the much heralded Storm Benjamin due to arrive on Thursday I was desperate to pick as much fruit remaining on the trees as possible before the gale force winds blew them to the ground. I didn’t get them all picked, but did manage to fill quite a few crates that will go for the final juice pressing. As it happened Benjamin wasn’t as violent as I was led to believe, though still very blowy, but after he had passed through there were still apples clinging on, so I will endeavour to gather a few more this week.

So on to all things fruit and vegetable. This week I will be cutting my next batch of Romanesco cauliflowers, that are looking pretty good. in addition there will be broccoli, cavolo nero and Savoy cabbage. Beetroot, parsnips, carrots (including rainbow ones), leeks, sweet potatoes, squash and swede are all great components to those soups and stews that you are dying to make….I like a herby dumpling in mine. Celeriac is also available, but is in short supply. Apples this week are Cox’s Orange Pippin, plus there are cooking apples, cooking pears and quince. I got the pricing of the oranges wrong last week and lost my shirt, so they have increased in price. They are very early season fruit and haven’t yet really developed a great depth of flavour in my opinion. The avocados this week are very large, so their price reflects that.

I forgot to tell you at the time, but a few weeks ago I completed 20 years as a stallholder at Wyken farmers’ market. That’s pretty amazing really. I think that there is only one other that has attended for longer than me. Doesn’t time go quickly though? It feels like only yesterday.

I’m calling it a day here, because I want to put the toasting fork through its paces while the fire is at its optimum. I know that I shouldn’t have that much butter on my slice….but just this once 😉

Have a great week.

Phil