Putting joy before self-sufficiency with a blood orange, rosemary & pine nut cake

Blood oranges (not grown by me) atop an almond and pine nut crumble cake infused with rosemary (grown by me).

No. You’re right. I don’t grow blood oranges.

The Cotswolds is not known for its long, scorching summers or gently cool autumnal nights, the chill of which gives blood oranges their distinctive purple flecks. West Oxfordshire is not the foothills of Mount Etna. But, as you may recall if your read my January newsletter or last week’s recipe post, there isn’t much to eat in the veg patch right now, so I’m getting my seasonal gluts delivered in a weekly Riverford box.

Which is no failure.

Though it may seem so to allomenting purists. You know: purists. The old fogeys who grow half an acre of potatoes and will happily eat nothing but swede all winter. It’s a prepper mentality, just with fewer tins. Unlike them, the aim of my growing is not self-sufficiency but joy. And there is, I can promise you, no joy to be had chomping your way through moth-eaten kale and an endless chard glut three times a day simply because that’s all there is in the patch. Plus, chosen well, buying veg supports fellow growers who put sustainable, local farming first. Hence Riverford.

And sometimes, in your Riverford box, you get something exciting like blood oranges. Which are one of those crops with a super short season thanks to their very specific growing requirements (Etna, sun, cold etc) – like asparagus and forced rhubarb – fleeting and all the more special for it.

To make the most of them:

Over the next few weeks, use them for marmalade, cakes, salads, any excuse you can find. You might also enjoy these (those featuring oranges can just be swapped - improved? - for blood oranges):

Kalette, feta and orange salad:

Sprout Caesar but a Bit Waldorf Salad (my latest for Fortnum and Mason):

Blood Orange and Saffron Polenta Cake

Then try this simple almond traybake jazzed up with blood oranges, pine nuts and rosemary.

See. Much tastier than scrag end of chard, isn’t it?

Blood orange, rosemary & pine nut crumble cake

This looks fancy but in fact is a relatively basic almond cake mix made special by infusing the batter with rosemary and orange and by topping with sliced oranges and a nutty crumble. It’s a doddle to make but the flavours are sufficiently unexpected to belie the ease of creating.

Serves 8-10