apples and quince

October 21st is Apple Day. So at the market yesterday, there were apple tastings where people could try different locally grown varieties. These are tree ripened Cox and Bramleys..

One of my friends brought along a huge bag of quince from the tree in his garden which has gone mad this year, producing around 200kg of fruit. He's giving them away to anyone who'll take them, along with a recipe for quince jam which is great with cold meats and cheese (or so I've been told - I've never tried it). They're rather strange furry fruit which look like large knobbly pears.

In case this puts you in the mood for cake, here's a recipe for Nigel Slater's English Apple Cake: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe226.shtml
Or you might feel like having a go at this variation on Nigel's Apple Cake which incorporates crumble: http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/03/22/recipe-caramelised-apple-topping-cinnamon-cake/

I haven't tried either of these but will be experimenting with gluten free versions.

And if you feel like trying some quince jam (presupposing you can find any quince!): http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quince_jam/