#nofilter
The last day of September, on the Lagan towpath..
When you wake up and realise (as I did this morning) that it’s strangely quiet outside.. when you can hardly see the roof of the house opposite, then you realise that it is indeed Autumn.
The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has arrived. The vital clue was all the local apples, pears and plums in the market, or being pressed on you by a desperate friend, eager to spread some of nature’s bounty before their own family stages a revolution at the thought of yet another apple pie or Crumble!
Apple and Plum Crumble..yum :)
Personally, I can never have too many Apple Pies or Crumbles, but perhaps if I ate some every day for weeks on end, then even I might get a little jaded! Or, you know, maybe not… 😉 Here’s my easy short-crust pastry recipe: https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-easy-short-crust-pastry/
Speaking of apples – don’t forget to try my delicious new French Apple and Rum Cake too – I’ve made this several times recently, and it’s gone down a treat! https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/french-apple-cake/
The other wonderful arrival at this time of year is the many different varieties of Pumpkin and Squash – we’ve already had some delicious squash from our friend Julie, which I roasted – here’s the recipe for that: https://eatingforireland.com/review/oven-roasted-squash-and-peppers/
Some of you will have seen my recent post on Instagram about the arrival of – ahem – ‘Festive’ products in the supermarkets.. So just when you’d found good homes for all those apples, the advent (pardon the pun 😉 ) of all things twinkly, sparkly and expensive is almost upon us!
Never fear, Eating-for-Ireland has a plan for that, so let’s just enjoy the glories of Autumn; Halloween comes first, by the way – but on 1st November the gloves come off for the aforementioned sparkly stuff!
Squash at St George’s market
Handmade pottery at Rowallane..
Fresh, local Pumpkin!
So, put on an extra layer, some stout boots, your favourite woolly hat, and get outside to enjoy all that Autumn has to offer – it really is the most beautiful time of year, especially in Ireland – I always say that, but I’m biased!
With the clocks going back an hour at the end of October, listen out for someone saying wisely ‘the nights are fair drawing in..’; wait for the first scent of a wood fire from a house on your street, and dig out those casserole dishes – you’re going to need them!! 
The first chestnut of the year!
Yes, we’ll be going there soon, but first enjoy Autumn – we only get one a year you know!
The golden carpet at Rowallane Gardens..
My favourite seat, overlooking the lake at Mount Stewart..
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx