IT'S that time of the year when the gardener swaps the spade for the wooden spoon, the secateurs for the paring knife and the wheelbarrow for the heavy-bottomed saucepan.

It's time to prepare for the bitter hunger pangs of winter by stocking up the stores with goodies prepared from the produce harvested in the garden over the last few months. Well, life isn't quite as dependant on the garden as it used to be just a few decades ago. When we make homemade food from our wild gatherings it is more for fun now. It is a novelty or treat, no longer a necessity.

Having said that, I thoroughly enjoy picking, processing and consuming my own grown creations. It is not about saving money, it has more to do with a primeval bond with the pure wonderment of nature. How much better does an apple pie taste, when you have watched the fruit swelling on the tree for a whole summer, than one bought wrapped in cellophane crammed full of artificial preservatives. With each mouthful you see the beauty of the spring blossom, you taste the natural fruit sugars that intoxicate the bees and you feel the bite of reality.

The small orchard at the bottom of the garden (the five trees) has provided me with a bounty of tabletop treats this year. There was the ubiquitous crumble. You simply can't go wrong with a crumble. I add a few handfuls of oats to my topping to give it extra bite.

Baked apples have been seriously neglected over the years, but can make one of the simplest, yet nostalgic and nourishing, puddings. I fill the cores of mine with honey, sultanas, dates, roasted almonds and a little brandy.

The apple chutney has been a particularly good batch this time. I add balsamic vinegar to the recipe, as well as dates and some good muscavado sugar. It is a rich, malty accompaniment to any dish. Quite middle-eastern.

Fancy something tasty yet nutritious to nibble on during the day? Core a few apples, slice them very thinly so that they make rings and bake them overnight in a low oven. If you don't want to eat them you can string them together and make alternative Christmas decorations.

A few years ago I made some apple, blackcurrant and elderberry wine. It was a light red with a very slight fizz, very good for summer drinking. I know it was quite potent as I remember arriving back from work one day to find Nick and a couple of visiting friends rolling around on the patio. It was only four thirty in the afternoon, but they swear that they had had no more than one glass each. That's the danger (beauty?) of homemade wines. You don't always have complete control of the final product.

The piece de resistance though has to be the cider. I have opted for the very basic form. Several pounds of mashed up windfalls were left for a week in a large pan of cold water. This was sieved, beefed up with lemon juice and sugar. The liquid has been bottled and is now biding its time in the garage. It should be ready for the bonfire night celebrations.

Many people have a neglected apple tree in the garden, and just let the fruit fall pointlessly onto the ground. I have done it myself. However, this year I know that when I am supping on my home-made cider I will be congratulating myself on turning nature's excess into nature's bounty.

Published: 19/10/2002