Autumnal Fare

This autumn, I didn’t even have to leave my front garden to pick about half a pound’s worth of blackberries. There was a bumper crop and they were growing all along the ditch by my house. My five year old and I donned reflector jackets and headed out along the road. We got two big tubs within a few hundred metres.

So then my kitchen was full of blackberries and I had to find something to do with them. I had visions of making jam but it never happened. There’s always next year for that. I got some apples from a field nearby, thanks to my father in law, and made an apple and blackberry tart.

1. For the pastry I used the BBC Shortcrust Pastry Recipe with margarine instead of butter. I used the food processor method.
2. After refrigerating the pastry, divide in two, roll out to half cm thick and using rolling pin line a greased dish.
3. Place about 450g washed blackberries and 450g chopped apples in the centre.  Sprinkle over a half teaspoon of cinnamon and a few tablespoons of caster sugar to sweeten if you wish.
4. Roll out other half of pastry, cover over and trim the edges.
5. Bake in the oven for 40 – 45 mins at 190C 180C Fan oven Gas 5.
6. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving warm with Alpro custard or your favourite dairy free ice-cream.