TODAY TOMORROW TO KEEP

LIA LEENDERTZ ENJOYS A SEASONAL CROP WITH A TRIO OF RECIPES FOR NOW AND LATER. THIS MONTH: HAZELNUTS

Nutting time is here. In days gone by this was the moment we would have set out into the woods with our baskets to gather nuts, a free and precious source of protein to see us through winter. If you’re a forager, you may still head out to your favourite woodland spots, and if you have a hazel tree of your own, this is the time to peer up into the branches, or rustle around in the undergrowth, before the squirrels get them all. The rest of us can sometimes find the new crop of nuts at the grocer’s, sold as Kent cobs – plump and juicy, and perfect in autumn salads with blue cheese and figs. As the month progresses, these are harder to find, as the nuts naturally harden up. Once fully hardened, they’re ready for storage, and will keep through winter. There’s work to be done in cracking them open, of course, but once shelled, they’re a brilliantly versatile ingredient, as happy in a savoury pesto as they are in a cosy autumnal cake or a luxurious chocolate and nut granola. »

Even if you don’t grow your own, you’re likely to come across a glut from time to time – from a friend’s allotment, perhaps, in your weekly veg box, or at a stall at the farmers’ market. Finding varied ways to eat and store this seasonal bounty is satisfying to mind, appetite and pantry. Spend a few hours with your glut and make a dish to eat right away, another for the next day, and a little something for the larder as a future treat.