A spicy September

As late summer rollerskates into early autumn, our mild September is, so far, a distinct improvement on August’s endless drizzle. But there is a definite autumnal feeling hanging in the air. The trees are starting to part grudgingly with the first of their leaves. And, just in time for the new school term, smooth, brown conkers are lining the floor under chestnut trees, ready to be stashed away by zealous would-be champs.

But a word of warning: these polished beauties are not the solid, soon-to-be-triumphant gems they might seem. A spokesman for The Campaign for Real Conkers has said that our wet August has made conkers fall before they’re fully ripened. Apparently, the ones that have already fallen are too soft for battle and a well-timed whack from a rival will result in their fragmentation. For any serious conker aficionados hoping to compete in the World Conker Championships on October 10th in Ashton, Northamptonshire, the experts advise using prized conkers from last year or foraging for a champion treasure in Wales or the south west of England, where the weather was better.

But the wet August wasn’t all bad for autumnal crops. If you haven’t already, it’s time to veer away from the the likes of New Zealand braeburns with their astronomic carbon footprint and resolutely choose British. Our combination of chilly winter, sunny spring and early summer has resulted in what is being hailed as the tastiest crop in years, even if they are a little smaller than usual. Try your local farmers' market and see what you can find.

If you grow your own tomatoes and are now left with a glut just as the salad season draws to a close, here’s an easy solution: tomato chilli jam. There’s no exact science to this recipe but mix a kilo or so of tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic and a couple of onions (all roughly chopped) with a substantial glug of cider vinegar, a squeeze of lime juice, a couple of finely chopped super spicy scotch bonnet chillies (remove the seeds if you don’t like too much heat) and a smorgasbord of warming herbs such as cumin, coriander, cloves and cinnamon and bring to the boil. After half an hour or so of intermittent stirring, add 100g of demerara sugar. Stir regularly for another 45 minutes and place in warmed, sterilized jars. Once it has cooled, put in the fridge where it will keep for a month or so. Delicious with cheese and the perfect alternative to a bottle of wine if you’re heading to friends for dinner.