September recipes

A simple and stylish nutty fig pudding ready in just 10 minutes

Give the gift of homemade fig jam to family and friends. It's the perfect partner to a fresh loaf at breakfast time, or try swirled into natural yogurt

Delicious, sweet and fruity pud, great served with cream or ice cream - make the case with bought pastry

Easy to make and full of juicy fruit, this cake can be served at teatime or as a pudding, the perfect finish to Sunday lunch

Little hands aged from 3-6 can help make these sweet treats, best served with vanilla ice cream

A handy standby which goes with just about everything, and keeps for 3 months in the fridge

If you want to make this more substantial, you could serve some prosciutto or Serrano ham with it

Beetroot is actually very sweet and keeps this rich chocolate loaf wonderfully moist

A traditional way to use up marrows, or courgettes, that have grown too big for their boots

A ripple of sweet plum purée and chunks of almond biscuit turn this Italian ice cream into an all-in-one dessert

Cook a big batch of this filling spiced lentil and squash soup and freeze the leftovers for a speedy supper another day. It's healthy and low in fat

Batch cook a vegetable soup when you have a seasonal bounty and you'll always have a healthy meal in the freezer

Roll out a puff pastry base and have a vegetarian meal in minutes with sliced greens, basil and ricotta cheese toppings

Falling somewhere between an ice cream and a syllabub, this berry-rippled dessert is seasonal and spectacular

Batch cooking sieved tomato sauce means you can freeze it in portions and defrost it to use however you please. Perfect for pasta, rice and pizza dishes

Get your dinner party off to a great start with this salad topped with toasted almonds. Alternatively, it can be made into impressive-looking canapés

Everybody loves traditional strawberry Eton mess, but blackberries also work beautifully with homemade meringue and luscious lemon cream

Packed with fruit, this deep pink preserve should be spread thickly - or present it as a homemade gift

Red cabbage dotted with berries perfectly cuts through game meat - serve with buttery mashed potatoes

A delicious way to deal with a glut of damsons - perfect on toast or fresh bread and a great accompaniment to roast meats

For a show-stopping dinner party, James Martin recommends this peppery soup, topped with luxurious seafood

Preserve allotment staple runner beans to enjoy later in the year in this zingy chutney. It will keep sealed in a cool, dry place for up to three months