The crumble topping is an old favourite of mine, it’s almost flapjack-like, as I make the crumble mixture, bake it first and then place it on top of the fruits and bake it for a second time. I dislike a soggy crumble, hence I find that the twice-baked crumbles deliver not only a fantastic baked-cum-roasted taste, they deliver on texture too.

I use a cherry stoner to remove the stones from the small wild plums and it works a treat.

After making choux pastry in the Thermomix the previous week, Steve wanted to try this method for himself, and yes, it works a treat! The only difference is that the sugar is left out of the choux pastry recipe and replaced with a pinch of salt. The beauty about choux pastry is that you can make the dough up to 3 days in advance, keep it in the fridge until needed, then fold in the flavouring and hey presto!, cook and serve. You also get plenty out of one recipe, which means you can either feed a small army or make plenty for the following day. I include both the conventional method and the Thermomix method for making choux pastry. See the Cook’s Tips at the end of the recipe for the Thermomix method.

These crab beignets are delicious served either hot or cold. Served cold they will lose a bit of their crispness, but they are just as delicious.

Our damson crop has been divided between a few recipes. I turned a good amount into a purée, which is used for making damson parfait, damson bellinis for the bar and even damson martinis, which have been a hot favourite with our regulars. The rest made their way into crumbles and chutneys, but my favourite recipe this season is this cinnamon-baked damson recipe. I use them for various dishes from pavlovas filled with chantilly cream and cinnamon-baked damsons to a damson meringue mess. My latest yummy creation is this choux bun recipe.

I enjoy eating choux pastry made into various shapes and used in different recipes, from savoury to sweet, but I used to find making choux pastry really hard work, mainly because of the amount of elbow grease required and also the amount of equipment it needed. Hard work means no fun until the Thermomix made its way into my life. This recipe for choux pastry made in the Thermomix is a dream and, yes, it’s guaranteed to work every time, providing you follow the instructions correctly. I speak from experience on this as last week I tried to make this recipe, but as I am fairly lazy I did not read the instructions, and while trying to answer the phone, cook, manage the business and watch what the junior staff were getting up to, I made a few fundamental errors and, yes, I made a flop! However, once I had gathered my thoughts and assessed my own mistakes, I ticked myself off, tried again (following the instructions this time!) and after that my choux pastry came out beautifully.

I bake it every day, as we are busy, and I serve this dessert on our set menu; it’s been a popular little number. Please do not fear, persevere and do give this recipe a go as it’s really satisfying and enjoyable. If you do not have a Thermomix, then follow the conventional method, even though it requires a fair amount of elbow grease. See the Cook’s Tips at the end of the recipe for the Thermomix method.

The unfilled baked choux buns will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, and the cinnamon-baked damsons can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Damsons freeze well. I have made the purée and frozen it in batches to ensure I have a good steady supply throughout the autumn, and then the quartered damsons without the stones I freeze on flat trays and use as I need them. For this recipe, if you are using frozen damsons, I recommend that you bake them from frozen and increase the cooking time accordingly.

Ice creams and sorbets was one of those, ‘to do’ items on the wishlist. Well Ross took the lead on the ice cream and sorbet front while I was writing my book and I happily popped along with my ideas and flavour combinations. This recipe is one of Ross’s combos and I think it’s a real treat!

Part of the mission was inspired by the large quantity of fresh seasonal produce that we received all of a sudden. I love the summer bounty as there is so much to pick and choose from that there is simply not enough time for me to write each and every recipe and dish that I do. Slowly but surely I shall build this a fantastic recipe collection of seasonal produce to be enjoyed for years to come.

Since I had the thermomix I have made all curds using this machine, partly because it’s as simple as putting all the ingredients in, setting the timer and pressing a button; the machine does all the work, cooking and stirring automatically. Once done all I need to do is to pour it into a container, chill and serve. However, I also recognise that not everyone has this piece of machinery at home, and for that reason I have also added the conventional cooking method too. It does require continuous stirring but all the hard work leads to a brilliant treat as a result.

This pudding is a great party pleaser and perfect when catering for larger numbers. Make the meringues up to one week in advance, keep them in an airtight container in a dry cupboard. The curd and gooseberries can also be made up to three days in advance. You can simply place the meringues in a bowl in the centre of the table along with the curd, gooseberries and cream and your guests can build their own – sounds like a really good plan to me!

The king of vegies and best of all it grows here on my doorstep. The Suffolk sandlings is the perfect place, with its soft sandy soil.

Early on in the season it’s at its sweetest and most tender. The British asparagus season is short but when it’s here we love it! Simplicity is key. For me the humble egg is the best best companion, whether hens or ducks eggs soft boiled with plenty of Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

The team is working hard, we finally turned the waste land by the back door into a tiny…no lets rephrase that…. minute organic kitchen garden. Inspiration for the boys to go out and pick a few flowers, herbs and strawberries. Well it’s not enough for us to serve the restaurant. We heavily rely on as many freebies, from Dans mums garden and a top up from David keeps our fridges filled with summer lushness.

The garden has unfortunately fallen into the hands, mouths and beaks of the two, four, five, ten and twenty legged creatures living out there. However, I’m turning a blind eye, It’s keeping me sane, when needs must, I pop out to “water” the garden and then all the worldly sins are forgotten.

Let them eat…kolhrabi! if it’s the only price I have to pay for my own sanity!

This Keens cheddar brûlée is one of the simpler recipes that highlights the taste of the fantastic asparagus. It’s easy to prepare and brings a wonderful smile and ‘wow’ to the dining table. I did use my beloved Thermomix for this recipe, however, if you do not have one, do not panic. Simply use a old fashioned double boiler. The traditional method is just as effective however it involves stirring and ones constant attention.

The beauty and purpose of the chive flower: They are spectacular, bright purple blue and interestingly beautiful. Not only are they pretty to look at however have several functions. It’s perfect for eating and brightens up any dish. If planted in the garden the purple blue attracts bees, encourage pollination. On the other hand it acts as an insect-repellant and planted to control pests.

Most of the time medlars are mixed with apples to be turned into wine or jellies. As we had a large quantity of quinces donated to us I thought I’d give it a go mixing the two, and actually, the result is perfect. When you cook quinces for a long period of time the syrup turns pink which gives this jelly an attractive colour.

The theme of the quinces continue by turning more quinces into a curd, the buttery curd compliments the sweetness of the jelly and the acidity of the crème fraîche balances the dish.

This garibaldi recipe has been with me for many years. It can be fairly temperamental and behaves best during the winter. If the dough gets a bit warm it sticks and makes a bit of a mess. My top tip is to wrap it into sausages and let it chill well for a minimum of 6 hours. Then, take it from the fridge when you’re ready, cut it into disks and bake immediately. Do not hesitate or leave it to come to room temperature, it might just misbehave. I know I had a few “sticky” moments in the past. If you have baked a few too many of these delicious biscuits keep the baked biscuits in an air tight container, or alternatively, bake what you need and keep the remaining dough in the freezer. Defrost the dough in the fridge overnight and bake as per the recipe below. I sprinkle the warm baked biscuits with caster sugar to give it even more of a homemade look.

The colours of Autumn are luscious and bold and beautiful. Deep dark reds, greens and purples are as spectacular and reflective of Autumn as the colours in the delicious honey, plum and blackberry jelly with plum sorbet.

We buy most of our fruit from High-House Farm which is situated 6 miles from us. Every Monday and Thursday Piers gives me a call telling me about the fruits that are ready to be harvested and then the following day Jaco delivers them with a big smile. These are the kinds of stories and precise reasons why we made the big move to Suffolk. Receiving the freshest seasonal local produce on the same day that it was harvested – we are two very lucky chefs!

We currently get Victoria plums from High-House farm, but unfortunately the blackberries came to an end. I did, however, manage to keep some in the freezer for a “rainy day”. They work incredibly well from frozen and are equally as perfect. There is a myth that one should not pick blackberries after the 11th of October as the devil has urinated on them.…well I hope this makes you giggle as much as it made me laugh when Malcolm Emery told us this myth last week at a conference that I attended.

There are plenty of plum varieties available but for me there is only one queen of the plums and that is the Victoria plum. Victoria plums were first cultivated in Sussex in 1840 when they quickly became the nation’s favourite. There are over 300 cultivated plum varieties available in Britain plus the wild plums, such as wild damsons, bullaces, sloes and mirabelles.

The hedgerows are packed with wonderful free food. When Mr.P and I finally manage to get out and take a walk across the fields nearby we cannot help ourselves in picking the abundance of elderberries, wild plums, mirabells and rosehips on offer. We discovered a damson tree on our land and have picked several baskets full. They were turned into chutney, puree and finally today I have frozen several kilos. This should keep me going for a few weeks… I hope!

Plums freeze well so keep them for the colder months when stone fruits are less regularly available. Plums have a high pectin level and are ideal for making jams and jellies. They are not only synonymous with sweet recipes but equally known for use in savouries and work wonderfully with rich meats such as duck, teal, mallard, pigeon and venison.

Here are a few other recipes I suggest that could be made with plums:

• Plum Upside Down Cake
• Victoria Plum and Blackberry Frozen Ice-Cream Slice
• Plum Tart Tatin with Mulled Plum Sorbet
• Cinnamon Baked Plums

My palate always used to be known as a good one, I had the privilege to taste the food in the restaurant as I was the only lady in the kitchen at that time. They said a woman’s palate is more refined and finely tuned. I loved every moment of the “glory” as I managed to taste nearly everything we served. It honed my palate and made me a very interesting chef. I was looking for perfection with the desire to taste every ingredient and it had to be  perfect otherwise it would have not passed my taste bud test. So I felt privileged that I was not only  learning the very best tricks of the trade but I had something that no one else had at that time in that Michelin kitchen, that’s pretty spectacular. It was so finely tuned that when I went on a wine tasting and palate identification course I guessed 50 out of 50 of the ingredients we had to taste, the gentleman was bemused and lost for words.

These sweeties are pretty special but at the same time I think they are an acquired taste. I planted the camomile bush in my garden two years ago but overtime I had forgotten what it was as the tag had disappeared. Only when Mum came to visit last year she pointed out that it was camomile.  It makes me laugh as I’m so forgetful and a real plonker at the best of times but what a lovely find. When we moved to Suffolk we brought most of our unusual herbs along and luckily this time we tagged them all, just to avoid the confusion.

The smoking process is a interesting but equally tricky one. Suffolk is known for it’s wonderful smoke houses and there are plenty of them around. All with their own style and their own interesting smoked items.

The smoking process for these pears must be controlled, if you smoke the pears too much it will overpower the rest of the flavours and consequently if you to serve it at the end of a meal it could be a bit too strong. Serve them as petit fours or bag them up in pretty see- through cellophane bags and give them as a gift, it makes a pretty decent treat.