October Editor's Picks
BFI London Film Festival
2nd-13th October
Film fanatics, this one’s for you. Britain’s brightest and best will soon be descending upon London Southbank for BFI’s annual film festival. With this year’s line up including the eagerly anticipated The Personal Hisvtory of David Copperfield, The King and Jojo Rabbit, there’s something for everyone at this star-studded event. Movie buffs can brush up on their trivia with a myriad of filmmaker Q&As and workshops, or simply sit back and enjoy the show – just don’t forget the popcorn.
Broadstairs Food Festival
4th-6th October
Take your taste buds down to Kent for a three-day festival of the finest food and drink the area has to offer. Held in the quintessentially British seaside town of Broadstairs, visitors can sample various gastronomic treats, ranging from heritage cheeses to bespoke cocktails. This year’s event has an ecological emphasis, with sustainable cutlery and glasses aiming to limit the plastic pollution on Broadstairs beach. Certain to be as delicious as it is conscientious, this is not one to miss.
Pumpkin Fest at Castle Ward
26th October
Get into the Halloween spirit with a pumpkin carving to remember. Set at the gourd-geous Castle Ward, visitors can enjoy artisan food and explore the grounds before moving onto the main event, with over 2,000 pumpkins picked and ready to be carved into various terrifying masterpieces. After showing off your artistic talent, be sure to take a look around the house itself: this 18th-century mansion is sure to have some ghost stories hidden behind its walls.
Upside-down Chestnut and Pine Nut Pie
A delicious blend of seasonal chestnuts, crunchy pine nuts and caramelised raisins, this tart is the perfect treat for chilly autumn days. Taken from WILD, a brand-new cookbook from the owners of Wild Food Café in Neal’s Yard, we love this tart served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, but it’s equally delectable cold with your afternoon cup of tea. Take care to decorate with a sprig of rosemary for a festive flourish.
Ingredients
For the caramel:
– 100 boiled chestnuts, roughly chopped
– 80g coconut sugar
– 30g pine nuts
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
– 4 tbsp water
Wet ingredients:
– 280ml almond milk
– 240ml maple syrup
– 110g coconut sugar
– 100ml olive oil
– 1 stalk of rosemary, leaves only
– 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
– zest of 2 oranges
– ½ tsp salt
Dry ingredients:
– 230g gluten-free flour
– 40g chestnut flour
– 30g almond flour
– 100g boiled chestnuts
– 30g raisins
– 30g pine nuts
– 2 tsp baking powder
Topping:
– 200g boiled chestnuts, roughly chopped
– 30g pine nuts
– 30g soaked raisins, drained
To decorate
– pine nuts
– sprigs of fresh rosemary
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
First make the ‘topping’. Spread the chopped chestnuts over the base of a 25cm (10-inch) round cake tin. Add the pine nuts and soaked raisins and set aside.
Place all the caramel ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium–low heat, let it cook for approximately 10 minutes, then remove from the heat when the sugar has dissolved. Pour the caramel over the ‘topping’.
Add all the dry pie ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine. Blend all the wet pie ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth then add to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine together with a whisk until the mix is smooth.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin, making sure you cover the caramel mixture evenly. Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. Flip the cake over so that the ‘topping’ is on the top. Decorate with pine nuts and sprigs of rosemary.