There’s a nip in the air and an earthy aroma as fallen leaves crumble under foot. It’s Autumn and perhaps the most exciting time of the year for foraging with berries and nuts begging to be picked in the hedgerow.  A time to be out and about admiring nature’s colours and fruitful harvest; enjoying warming dishes that take advantage of what mother nature has to offer.

Belvoir Fruit Farms has worked with blogger, English Mum (englishmum.com) to devise recipes to impress the whole family – a deliciously warming soup, a hearty beef pie, mouth-watering rhubarb and apple crumble and something for the kids –’Ginger-dead men’ for Halloween – all of which feature either one of Belvoir’s seasonal fruity infusions or one of their spice filled beverages, made with fresh ingredients and natural fruit juices.  Get ready for Good Times this Autumn and cook with the season and Belvoir.

Belvoir Lime & Lemongrass Noodle Soup

This colourful, fragrant broth is perfect for a chilly day, and full of flavour.  It’s also quick and simple to make, so it’s perfect for an easy midweek meal.

Ingredients:

1 pack (250 g) fine egg noodles

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

1 pack bok choi, sliced

2 carrots, peeled, then cut into fine strips with a vegetable peeler

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Handful of green beans, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 litre chicken or veg stock (cube is fine)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp Belvoir Lime & Lemongrass Cordial

1 pack (300 g) frozen prawns, defrosted

To garnish:

Fresh coriander and mint, chopped

Method:

1. Firstly, prepare all the ingredients: deseed and chop the chilli, prepare the vegetables and crush the garlic.
2. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
3. In a separate large pan, heat the stock in a large pan and stir in the garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and Belvoir Lime & Lemongrass Cordial, then add in all the vegetables. Finally, add in the prawns. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables have softened.
4. Drain the noodles and divide between four bowls, then just ladle over the soup.  Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Beef Pie with Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial

Taking inspiration from Scandinavian cuisine, which has long embraced the concept of pairing sweet, tart berries with rich meat dishes, Belvoir’s Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial gives a moreish depth of flavour to the beef filling in this sumptuous pie.

Serves 6

For the filling:

2 tbsp rapeseed or other oil

1 red onion, chopped

500g British beef braising steak

2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned

100ml Belvoir Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial

500ml beef stock

2 bay leaves

For the pastry:

200g cold butter

400g plain flour

Pinch salt

Ground black pepper

2 eggs, beaten (reserve half for egg wash)

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and gently fry the onion until it starts to colour.  Remove with a slotted spoon and keep to one side.
2. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour, then brown a few pieces at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.  You might need a little more oil.
3. When all the meat is browned, deglaze the pan with the Belvoir Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial, scraping at any caramelised bits stuck to the bottom.  Then add back the onion and beef and stir in the stock.  Add in the bay leaves.
4. Pop a lid on and put the beef in the oven at 190C/gas 5 for about an hour and a half, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. Remove the bay leaves.
5. To make the pastry, cut the cold butter into cubes, and add to the flour. Add in the salt and pepper, and then either place in a food mixer or rub in the butter gently with just your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
6. Add in half the beaten egg and bring together into a firm dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
7. Flour the work surface and rolling pin really well.  Divide the pastry into two pieces: one about 2/3 for the base and the other 1/3 for the top.  Roll out the larger piece and use it to line a metal pie dish (around 23cm is perfect), then return to the fridge until the filling is cool.
8. Spoon the cooled filling into the pie, then roll out the pastry lid.  Place over the filling and crimp the edges with your fingers, or a fork so that they’re sealed together.  Brush with the remaining beaten egg and bake for about half an hour at 180C/gas 4.

Belvoir Rhubarb & Apple Crumble

This lovely, comforting crumble is given some extra zing and a delicate touch of cardamom from Belvoir’s Rhubarb & Apple Pressé. The sweet-sour astringency of the rhubarb is the perfect foil to the buttery crumble topping.

Serves 6

For the filling:

4 stalks (about 400g) rhubarb, trimmed and chopped

500g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped

3 tbsp caster sugar

50 ml Belvoir Rhubarb & Apple Pressé

For the crumble:

200g plain flour

100g cold butter, cubed

125g demerara sugar

25g porridge oats

2 tbsp flaked almonds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6/200 degrees.
2. Place the rhubarb, apples, sugar and Belvoir Rhubarb & Apple Pressé in a large saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover and allow to cool down for 15 minutes (try not to stir too much as this will break up the fruit).
3. Meanwhile, make the crumble: place the flour and sugar in a bowl, then add in the cold butter.  Using just the tips of your fingers, rub the chunks of butter into the flour/sugar mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the porridge oats.
4. Spoon the fruit into the bottom of a pie dish then top with the crumble.  Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for about 30 minutes.   Serve with double cream or custard.  Don’t forget to save some for breakfast too!

Belvoir Cinnamon Skeleton Gingerbread Men

These spooky gingerbread (or should that be ginger-dead?) men are such fun to make, and the ginger icing is a delicious accompaniment to the cinnamon, ginger and chocolate biscuits.  Make sure the icing is really thick – you don’t want it to spread too much.

Makes 10 – 15 biscuits

For the Biscuits:

115g salted butter (room temperature)

100g caster sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp Belvoir Ginger Cordial

175g plain flour

30g cocoa

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the Icing:

4-5 tbsp icing sugar

Belvoir Ginger Cordial

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a food processor, mix the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy, then beat in the golden syrup (dip the spoon in boiling water first) and the tablespoon of Belvoir Ginger Cordial.
3. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and bicarbonate of soda together and then mix it into the butter and sugar.  Bring together into a firm dough.
4. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thick, then cut out the shapes using a gingerbread cutter. Place the shapes on the baking paper (leave some space between them as they will spread a little) and bake for 15 minutes.
5. When cool, make a very thick icing by dribbling the ginger cordial sparingly into the icing sugar.  Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a small nozzle attached, then pipe out your skeleton designs.  Allow to set before serving.

To enjoy these recipes at their best, why not serve them with the same Cordial or Pressé used in the ingredients?  One in five adults in the UK now claims to be teetotal and the choice of soft drink with a meal is taking on the seriousness of selecting a wine.  Belvoir Fruit Farms’ drinks offer the perfect solution in all senses of the word. 

Made on a family farm using only fresh ingredients and natural fruit juices with no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colourings or flavourings, Belvoir believes it’s the quality and taste of their drinks that makes them work so well with food; the fresh ingredients complementing the natural flavours of the food taste fabulous with any dish. 

So, go ahead – share these fabulous Autumnal flavours from Belvoir and English Mum with friends and family, and for other inspiring recipes all year round and for ideas of drinks to serve alongside them, visit www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk .