Autumn larder

This season of mellow fruitfulness is the perfect opportunity to open up the abundant natural larder of the New Forest.

At a time when steaming bowls of homemade soup, hearty hotpots and rib-sticking sticky puddings (with lashings of custard!) are welcome winter warmers, look to the wealth of local produce for some inspirational meal ideas.

What could be more welcome for supper on a cold dark evening than a roasted butternut squash and blue cheese risotto, using Loosehangar Cheese’s New Forest Blue? Perhaps you could rustle up a Beaulieu pheasant and apple casserole to impress friends for dinner – or tuck into a firm favourite, sausages and mash, using locally-made sausages and farm shop vegetables.

This is also the pannage season, when commoners use their ancient right to run their pigs freely in the open forest. By eating up the abundance of fallen acorns, not only do the pigs perform a valuable service in protecting the forest ponies from the toxicity of the nuts, but the resulting pannage pork meat is a rare delicacy, similar in flavour to the much-prized Spanish iberico ham.

Available from November onwards, the pannage pork can be found in New Forest farm shops, butchers and through direct sales.

New Forest food and drink producers have contributed a selection of unique recipes for Well Seasoned, published by New Forest Produce, and one of these, Pork and Apple is a seasonal treat, featured below.

The book introduces some of the local people involved in making the area self sustaining who have created a dish which makes the most of fabulous ingredients carrying the coveted New Forest Marque.

Local produce coordinator Sarah Green said: ““We have some of the finest produce here in the New Forest and recipe book showcases this wonderful array of produce.

“We want people to have the opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from, take pride in supporting their rural economy, and most of all-enjoy the wonderful tastes that are right here on their doorstep,” she added.

Well Seasoned also features money-saving ‘green’ tips, such as growing your own and using seasonal food, along with recipes for using up leftovers.

Perfect for food lovers and keen cooks, the recipe book makes a great buy and is even ideal as a Christmas gift. The book costs £10 and is available to purchase from the visitor information centres at Lyndhurst, Lymington and Ringwood or online at thenewforest.co.uk (click on the ‘shop’ link).

To find out more about New Forest Produce and the New Forest Marque, visit newforestproduce.com