A coating of oats adds crunch and succulence to meat and fish and they're natural companions for seasonal fruits in crumbly desserts – they also make a cracking breakfast
*Warm autumn salad with toasted oats and kale*
This salad is one of those truly comforting foods and will get you through the worst of autumn and winter. The oats and leafy greens bring in great textures, while the sweet and aromatic dressing satisfies your taste buds.
Serves 4
*100g walnuts, roughly chopped*
*200g jumbo oats*
*A dash of olive oil*
*1 egg white, lightly beaten*
*200g savoy cabbage*
*200g kale*
*2 oranges*
*Pomegranate, seeds from half a fruit*
For the dressing
*Juice from the oranges *
*2 tbsp honey*
*3 tbsp apple cider vinegar*
*75ml rapeseed oil*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
*1 *Mix the walnuts and oats, season, toss with olive oil and lightly beaten egg white. Bake at 150C/300F/gas mark 2 for 15-20 minutes.
*2 *Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and the kale stems. Chop finely. Zest then segment the orange, collecting the excess juice.
*3 *Combine half the oat mix, the kale, cabbage and pomegranate in a bowl along with half the orange segments.
*4 *In a saucepan, bring the orange juice to the boil and simmer until reduced by half. Mix all the dressing ingredients and stir until well combined. Season to taste.
*5 *Mix the dressing with the salad. Arrange the salad on a serving dish and top it with the rest of the oat mix and orange segments.
Recipe supplied by Josephine Kafod, atastylovestory.com
*Hedgerow flapjack*
Made with the last of autumn's blackberries, this traybake can be served as a soul-warming pud, or cooled and sliced for packed lunch treats. Frozen fruit also works well.
Makes 20 flapjacks
*200g butter*
*120g light brown sugar*
*120g golden syrup*
*230g gluten-free oats*
*100g gluten free oat flour*
*100g whole toasted hazelnuts*
*100g chopped toasted hazelnuts*
*50g ground hazelnuts*
*½ jar blackcurrant jam*
*340g blackberries, plums or other seasonal fruit (fresh or frozen)*
For the crumble topping
*130g light brown sugar*
*150g butter, chilled and diced*
*70g gluten-free oats*
*70g gluten-free oat flour*
*70g sorghum flour or soya flour*
*1 *Liberally brush a 30 x 23cm baking tin with melted butter.
*2 *Pop the butter, light brown sugar and golden syrup into a large saucepan on a medium heat, stirring every minute or so with a wooden spoon. It will take about 4-5 minutes for all the sugar to dissolve.
*3 *Put the oats, oat flour and the three types of hazelnuts into a large mixing bowl and mix together with a fork. Pour in the sugar mixture and stir well using a rubber spatula. Ensure that all the dry ingredients are well coated.
*4 *Spoon into the baking tray and spread around evenly – you need to create a moderately smooth surface and take care to push the mix into each corner.
*5 *Spread the jam over the base, then scatter with enough fruit to cover – the weight in the ingredients list is approximate depending on the fruit you choose. Bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 10 minutes.
*6 *Mix all the crumble topping ingredients in a large bowl then rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips, until it goes from a breadcrumb consistency to clumpy.
*7 *Scatter the crumble over the top of the fruit – it will look beautifully rustic with fruit visible in places – then bake again at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-18 minutes until light golden in colour. Slice into five short rows and four long columns, then serve.
Recipe supplied by Emma Goss-Custard, honeybuns.co.uk
*Apple-chai baked oatmeal*
Make a batch of this oatmeal at the weekend, and any leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge. You can substitute the spices, fruit and toppings if you like.
Serves 4
*2-3 small apples (such as gala)*
*100g rolled oats*
*50g walnuts, roughly chopped*
*1/2 tsp baking powder*
*1 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling*
*1 large egg*
*1 tsp vanilla*
*1 tbsp maple syrup*
*1 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for greasing *
For the chai-spiced milk
*230ml milk*
*65g sugar*
*6 slices fresh ginger*
*6 whole peppercorns*
*1 star anise*
*1 cinnamon stick*
*4 whole cloves*
*4 cardamom pods*
*1 *To make the spiced milk, combine all the chai ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it steep for 6-8 minutes, then strain and set it aside.
*2 *Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Peel and chop four of the apples. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder and the cinnamon. Add the apples and stir to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter.
*3 *Evenly spread the apple and oat mixture into a buttered, 20cm-diameter cast-iron frying pan (or other oven-safe dish). Pour the spiced-chai milk over the dry ingredients until they have been completely covered. Thinly slice the remaining apples (depending on the size of your apples) and place on top of the oatmeal. Spread the remaining half of the walnuts and sprinkle cinnamon on top of the sliced apple layer.
*4 *Bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy right away or reserve for later. This tastes just as good reheated over the next few days, with a side of yoghurt.
Recipe supplied by Megan Fleiner, passportsandpancakes.com
*Soda bread with jumbo oats*
Soda bread is one of the easiest breads to make and it keeps for a long time. This quick and simple recipe is easily made and is great warmed and buttered with smoked salmon at Christmas, or as the perfect accompaniment to hot soup during the colder months.
Makes 1 loaf
*250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting*
*20g salt*
*20g bicarbonate of soda*
*250g wholemeal flour*
*250g jumbo porridge oats*
*200g black treacle*
*500ml buttermilk*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
*2 *Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then mix in the treacle and buttermilk, working everything together lightly with your hands, until you have a loose, wet dough.
*3 *With floured hands, shape the dough into a round and lift on to the lined baking sheet. With a knife, mark a cross in the top. Put into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.* *Transfer to a wire rack, drape a damp cloth over the top and leave to cool.
Recipe supplied by Martin Nisbett, Almeida Restaurant
*Two-oat and barley porridge with brown sugar*
Using barley as well as two types of oats adds bags more texture to your porridge and livens up a breakfast favourite.
Serves 2
*50g steel-cut, small oats*
*50g cooked barley*
*50g jumbo rolled oats*
*100ml water*
* *
*300ml milk*
*A pinch of caster sugar*
*A pinch of salt*
*Soft brown sugar, to taste*
*Cold milk, to taste*
*1 *Put all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat, then cook for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is creamy but quite loose, stirring all the time.
*2 *Split between two bowls, then serve with brown sugar sprinkled on top, and a moat of cold milk around the edge.
Recipe supplied by Tom Harris, One Leicester Street
*Oat-crusted white fish with sprouting broccoli, anchovies and orange*
Using oats as a coating for fish, or indeed meat, adds a delicious crunch and imparts a sweet, mealy flavour. It also helps retain moisture in whatever they're wrapped around, resulting in a juicy finish. Orange, sprouting broccoli and anchovies are a classic Italian winter triumvirate and set the fish off beautifully.
Serves 4 as a light supper or tapa
*1 egg, beaten*
*100ml milk*
*4x150g white fish fillet portions, preferably not from the tail, skin removed*
*2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper*
*150g rolled porridge oats*
*200g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed of any woody ends*
*2 large salted anchovies, finely chopped*
*1 medium orange, peeled and segmented, juice reserved*
*Olive oil for cooking, plus extra for finishing*
*Salt and black pepper*
*1 *Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
*2 *Whisk together the egg and milk, then place in a bowl. Dredge the fish fillets: first in the flour – tapping off any excess – then the egg wash, and finally the oats. Ensure the fillets are completely covered. Transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes until chilled and firm.
*3 *Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well and place in a medium saucepan. Season, then add the chopped anchovies, orange juice and segments and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Place the pan over a low heat to heat everything together and reduce down the orange juice.
*4 *Heat a nonstick frying pan over a low‑medium heat and add about 5mm olive oil. Season the fish. When the oil is hot, place the fillets in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on both sides, turning with a fish slice, until the oats are nicely browned and crispy and the fish has cooked through. The fish is cooked when a cocktail stick inserted into the fish offers no resistance. If the fish is particularly thick then it may require 3 minutes in a preheated oven at around 200C/400F/gas mark 6 oven to cook through.
*5 *Divide the braised broccoli between serving plates and top with the crusted fish fillets.
Recipe supplied by Ben Tish, Salt Yard Group
*Chutney and oat crackers*
If you are among those of us who never know what to do with the chutney sitting in the back of the fridge – outside of slapping it on to some cheese sandwiches – here's a new way of putting it to good use. Leftover salsa will also work well.
Makes about 45 crackers
*80g rolled oats*
*30g nutritional yeast*
*1 tsp salt*
*¼ tsp baking powder*
*30g chutney*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
*2 *In a food processor, grind the oats into a fine flour. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and baking powder, and pulse several times.
*3 *Add the chutney and olive oil, then pulse until the dough starts coming together.
*4 *Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking paper until it's around ½cm thick. Using a round biscuit cutter between 2cm and 5cm in diameter, cut out crackers until you run out of dough.
*5 *Bake the crackers for around 14-16 minutes, until they are light golden brown on the bottom. Leave them to cool, then store in an airtight container.
500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Newman (Fair Winds Press)
*Banana-peanut oat bars*
These gorgeous treats have a wonderful, cakey feel to them, and it's hard to believe that they're actually rather good for you.
Makes 8 bars
*1 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for greasing*
*3 very ripe bananas*
*1 tbsp honey*
*2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter*
*280g porridge oats*
*2 tbsp flax seeds*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm-square baking tin with a little coconut oil.
*2 *In a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they are almost smooth. Next, melt the coconut oil, honey and peanut butter together over a low heat in a large pan. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the mashed bananas.
*3 *Once the bananas are thoroughly mixed in, stir in the oats and flax seeds and mix well until a sticky mixture is formed.
*4 *Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing down well to ensure it forms a compact layer, then bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into pieces.
The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock (Quadrille)
*Honey roasted pear, chestnut and oat crumble*
Chestnut flour is eaten throughout Italy, but especially in Tuscany, where it is most famously used in castagnaccio, a dense, flat cake. Here chestnuts are used as well as chestnut flour, and together they add a sweet nuttiness to the crumble topping.
Serves 6
*2 large bramley apples*
*6 pears*
*2 tsp ground cinnamon*
*1 tsp ground cardamom*
*100ml honey*
For the topping
*125g unsalted butter*
*70g soft brown sugar*
*60g granulated sugar*
*60g chestnut flour*
*60g self-raising flour*
*200g cooked chestnuts*
*70g rolled oats*
*1 *First make the topping. Put the butter, sugars, flours and chestnuts in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
*2 *Tip the mixture into a bowl, add the oats and mix well, then chill. At this stage you could even freeze the crumble topping for another day, if you wish.
*3 *Peel, core and dice the apples and pears, put them into a large bowl, then sprinkle the cinnamon and cardamom on top. Pour the honey over the top and mix well. Tip the mixture into an ovenproof dish large enough to hold it comfortably, then pile on the crumble topping.
*4* Place in the centre of an oven preheated to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for 40 minutes or until the fruit is cooked and its juices are happily bubbling around the edges of your crumble, which should be a lovely golden colour.
*5 *Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes or so, then serve with cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.
The Modern Pantry by Anna Hansen (Ebury Press)
*Oat, leek and pecorino scones*
Za'atar - a middle eastern herb mix - adds zest and depth of flavour, but it can easily be substituted with chopped fresh thyme.
Makes 8
*380g flour*
*90g rolled oats*
*6 tsp baking powder*
*½ tsp salt*
*2 tsp za'atar*
*340g butter, melted*
*2 eggs*
*230ml milk*
*1 large or 2 small leeks*
*80g pecorino, grated*
*Zest from 1 lemon*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 190/375F/gas mark 5. Line a tray with baking paper.
*2 *In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, salt and za'atar.
*3 *In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and add the milk and melted butter. Combine this with the oat/flour mixture.
*4 *Slice the leek very thinly. Add it to the dough with the pecorino and lemon zest, then stir well to combine.
*5 *Divide the dough into eight balls, then place them on the baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes. The outside should be starting to turn golden and feel slightly resistant to the touch, but not firm (it will become harder as it cools). Serve quickly, while still warm, with butter and orange marmalade.
Recipe supplied by Valerie Vago-Laurer, nettleandquince.com Reported by guardian.co.uk 23 hours ago.
*Warm autumn salad with toasted oats and kale*
This salad is one of those truly comforting foods and will get you through the worst of autumn and winter. The oats and leafy greens bring in great textures, while the sweet and aromatic dressing satisfies your taste buds.
Serves 4
*100g walnuts, roughly chopped*
*200g jumbo oats*
*A dash of olive oil*
*1 egg white, lightly beaten*
*200g savoy cabbage*
*200g kale*
*2 oranges*
*Pomegranate, seeds from half a fruit*
For the dressing
*Juice from the oranges *
*2 tbsp honey*
*3 tbsp apple cider vinegar*
*75ml rapeseed oil*
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
*1 *Mix the walnuts and oats, season, toss with olive oil and lightly beaten egg white. Bake at 150C/300F/gas mark 2 for 15-20 minutes.
*2 *Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and the kale stems. Chop finely. Zest then segment the orange, collecting the excess juice.
*3 *Combine half the oat mix, the kale, cabbage and pomegranate in a bowl along with half the orange segments.
*4 *In a saucepan, bring the orange juice to the boil and simmer until reduced by half. Mix all the dressing ingredients and stir until well combined. Season to taste.
*5 *Mix the dressing with the salad. Arrange the salad on a serving dish and top it with the rest of the oat mix and orange segments.
Recipe supplied by Josephine Kafod, atastylovestory.com
*Hedgerow flapjack*
Made with the last of autumn's blackberries, this traybake can be served as a soul-warming pud, or cooled and sliced for packed lunch treats. Frozen fruit also works well.
Makes 20 flapjacks
*200g butter*
*120g light brown sugar*
*120g golden syrup*
*230g gluten-free oats*
*100g gluten free oat flour*
*100g whole toasted hazelnuts*
*100g chopped toasted hazelnuts*
*50g ground hazelnuts*
*½ jar blackcurrant jam*
*340g blackberries, plums or other seasonal fruit (fresh or frozen)*
For the crumble topping
*130g light brown sugar*
*150g butter, chilled and diced*
*70g gluten-free oats*
*70g gluten-free oat flour*
*70g sorghum flour or soya flour*
*1 *Liberally brush a 30 x 23cm baking tin with melted butter.
*2 *Pop the butter, light brown sugar and golden syrup into a large saucepan on a medium heat, stirring every minute or so with a wooden spoon. It will take about 4-5 minutes for all the sugar to dissolve.
*3 *Put the oats, oat flour and the three types of hazelnuts into a large mixing bowl and mix together with a fork. Pour in the sugar mixture and stir well using a rubber spatula. Ensure that all the dry ingredients are well coated.
*4 *Spoon into the baking tray and spread around evenly – you need to create a moderately smooth surface and take care to push the mix into each corner.
*5 *Spread the jam over the base, then scatter with enough fruit to cover – the weight in the ingredients list is approximate depending on the fruit you choose. Bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 10 minutes.
*6 *Mix all the crumble topping ingredients in a large bowl then rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips, until it goes from a breadcrumb consistency to clumpy.
*7 *Scatter the crumble over the top of the fruit – it will look beautifully rustic with fruit visible in places – then bake again at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-18 minutes until light golden in colour. Slice into five short rows and four long columns, then serve.
Recipe supplied by Emma Goss-Custard, honeybuns.co.uk
*Apple-chai baked oatmeal*
Make a batch of this oatmeal at the weekend, and any leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge. You can substitute the spices, fruit and toppings if you like.
Serves 4
*2-3 small apples (such as gala)*
*100g rolled oats*
*50g walnuts, roughly chopped*
*1/2 tsp baking powder*
*1 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling*
*1 large egg*
*1 tsp vanilla*
*1 tbsp maple syrup*
*1 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for greasing *
For the chai-spiced milk
*230ml milk*
*65g sugar*
*6 slices fresh ginger*
*6 whole peppercorns*
*1 star anise*
*1 cinnamon stick*
*4 whole cloves*
*4 cardamom pods*
*1 *To make the spiced milk, combine all the chai ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it steep for 6-8 minutes, then strain and set it aside.
*2 *Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Peel and chop four of the apples. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder and the cinnamon. Add the apples and stir to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter.
*3 *Evenly spread the apple and oat mixture into a buttered, 20cm-diameter cast-iron frying pan (or other oven-safe dish). Pour the spiced-chai milk over the dry ingredients until they have been completely covered. Thinly slice the remaining apples (depending on the size of your apples) and place on top of the oatmeal. Spread the remaining half of the walnuts and sprinkle cinnamon on top of the sliced apple layer.
*4 *Bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy right away or reserve for later. This tastes just as good reheated over the next few days, with a side of yoghurt.
Recipe supplied by Megan Fleiner, passportsandpancakes.com
*Soda bread with jumbo oats*
Soda bread is one of the easiest breads to make and it keeps for a long time. This quick and simple recipe is easily made and is great warmed and buttered with smoked salmon at Christmas, or as the perfect accompaniment to hot soup during the colder months.
Makes 1 loaf
*250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting*
*20g salt*
*20g bicarbonate of soda*
*250g wholemeal flour*
*250g jumbo porridge oats*
*200g black treacle*
*500ml buttermilk*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
*2 *Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then mix in the treacle and buttermilk, working everything together lightly with your hands, until you have a loose, wet dough.
*3 *With floured hands, shape the dough into a round and lift on to the lined baking sheet. With a knife, mark a cross in the top. Put into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.* *Transfer to a wire rack, drape a damp cloth over the top and leave to cool.
Recipe supplied by Martin Nisbett, Almeida Restaurant
*Two-oat and barley porridge with brown sugar*
Using barley as well as two types of oats adds bags more texture to your porridge and livens up a breakfast favourite.
Serves 2
*50g steel-cut, small oats*
*50g cooked barley*
*50g jumbo rolled oats*
*100ml water*
* *
*300ml milk*
*A pinch of caster sugar*
*A pinch of salt*
*Soft brown sugar, to taste*
*Cold milk, to taste*
*1 *Put all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat, then cook for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is creamy but quite loose, stirring all the time.
*2 *Split between two bowls, then serve with brown sugar sprinkled on top, and a moat of cold milk around the edge.
Recipe supplied by Tom Harris, One Leicester Street
*Oat-crusted white fish with sprouting broccoli, anchovies and orange*
Using oats as a coating for fish, or indeed meat, adds a delicious crunch and imparts a sweet, mealy flavour. It also helps retain moisture in whatever they're wrapped around, resulting in a juicy finish. Orange, sprouting broccoli and anchovies are a classic Italian winter triumvirate and set the fish off beautifully.
Serves 4 as a light supper or tapa
*1 egg, beaten*
*100ml milk*
*4x150g white fish fillet portions, preferably not from the tail, skin removed*
*2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper*
*150g rolled porridge oats*
*200g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed of any woody ends*
*2 large salted anchovies, finely chopped*
*1 medium orange, peeled and segmented, juice reserved*
*Olive oil for cooking, plus extra for finishing*
*Salt and black pepper*
*1 *Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
*2 *Whisk together the egg and milk, then place in a bowl. Dredge the fish fillets: first in the flour – tapping off any excess – then the egg wash, and finally the oats. Ensure the fillets are completely covered. Transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes until chilled and firm.
*3 *Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well and place in a medium saucepan. Season, then add the chopped anchovies, orange juice and segments and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Place the pan over a low heat to heat everything together and reduce down the orange juice.
*4 *Heat a nonstick frying pan over a low‑medium heat and add about 5mm olive oil. Season the fish. When the oil is hot, place the fillets in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on both sides, turning with a fish slice, until the oats are nicely browned and crispy and the fish has cooked through. The fish is cooked when a cocktail stick inserted into the fish offers no resistance. If the fish is particularly thick then it may require 3 minutes in a preheated oven at around 200C/400F/gas mark 6 oven to cook through.
*5 *Divide the braised broccoli between serving plates and top with the crusted fish fillets.
Recipe supplied by Ben Tish, Salt Yard Group
*Chutney and oat crackers*
If you are among those of us who never know what to do with the chutney sitting in the back of the fridge – outside of slapping it on to some cheese sandwiches – here's a new way of putting it to good use. Leftover salsa will also work well.
Makes about 45 crackers
*80g rolled oats*
*30g nutritional yeast*
*1 tsp salt*
*¼ tsp baking powder*
*30g chutney*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
*2 *In a food processor, grind the oats into a fine flour. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and baking powder, and pulse several times.
*3 *Add the chutney and olive oil, then pulse until the dough starts coming together.
*4 *Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking paper until it's around ½cm thick. Using a round biscuit cutter between 2cm and 5cm in diameter, cut out crackers until you run out of dough.
*5 *Bake the crackers for around 14-16 minutes, until they are light golden brown on the bottom. Leave them to cool, then store in an airtight container.
500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Newman (Fair Winds Press)
*Banana-peanut oat bars*
These gorgeous treats have a wonderful, cakey feel to them, and it's hard to believe that they're actually rather good for you.
Makes 8 bars
*1 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for greasing*
*3 very ripe bananas*
*1 tbsp honey*
*2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter*
*280g porridge oats*
*2 tbsp flax seeds*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm-square baking tin with a little coconut oil.
*2 *In a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they are almost smooth. Next, melt the coconut oil, honey and peanut butter together over a low heat in a large pan. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the mashed bananas.
*3 *Once the bananas are thoroughly mixed in, stir in the oats and flax seeds and mix well until a sticky mixture is formed.
*4 *Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing down well to ensure it forms a compact layer, then bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into pieces.
The Medicinal Chef by Dale Pinnock (Quadrille)
*Honey roasted pear, chestnut and oat crumble*
Chestnut flour is eaten throughout Italy, but especially in Tuscany, where it is most famously used in castagnaccio, a dense, flat cake. Here chestnuts are used as well as chestnut flour, and together they add a sweet nuttiness to the crumble topping.
Serves 6
*2 large bramley apples*
*6 pears*
*2 tsp ground cinnamon*
*1 tsp ground cardamom*
*100ml honey*
For the topping
*125g unsalted butter*
*70g soft brown sugar*
*60g granulated sugar*
*60g chestnut flour*
*60g self-raising flour*
*200g cooked chestnuts*
*70g rolled oats*
*1 *First make the topping. Put the butter, sugars, flours and chestnuts in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
*2 *Tip the mixture into a bowl, add the oats and mix well, then chill. At this stage you could even freeze the crumble topping for another day, if you wish.
*3 *Peel, core and dice the apples and pears, put them into a large bowl, then sprinkle the cinnamon and cardamom on top. Pour the honey over the top and mix well. Tip the mixture into an ovenproof dish large enough to hold it comfortably, then pile on the crumble topping.
*4* Place in the centre of an oven preheated to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for 40 minutes or until the fruit is cooked and its juices are happily bubbling around the edges of your crumble, which should be a lovely golden colour.
*5 *Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes or so, then serve with cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.
The Modern Pantry by Anna Hansen (Ebury Press)
*Oat, leek and pecorino scones*
Za'atar - a middle eastern herb mix - adds zest and depth of flavour, but it can easily be substituted with chopped fresh thyme.
Makes 8
*380g flour*
*90g rolled oats*
*6 tsp baking powder*
*½ tsp salt*
*2 tsp za'atar*
*340g butter, melted*
*2 eggs*
*230ml milk*
*1 large or 2 small leeks*
*80g pecorino, grated*
*Zest from 1 lemon*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 190/375F/gas mark 5. Line a tray with baking paper.
*2 *In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, salt and za'atar.
*3 *In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and add the milk and melted butter. Combine this with the oat/flour mixture.
*4 *Slice the leek very thinly. Add it to the dough with the pecorino and lemon zest, then stir well to combine.
*5 *Divide the dough into eight balls, then place them on the baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes. The outside should be starting to turn golden and feel slightly resistant to the touch, but not firm (it will become harder as it cools). Serve quickly, while still warm, with butter and orange marmalade.
Recipe supplied by Valerie Vago-Laurer, nettleandquince.com Reported by guardian.co.uk 23 hours ago.