An empty shelf in Waitrose; bare except two forlorn punnets of damsons reduced to a pound each. One was a little squashed, the other had been opened it seemed – but I shoved them in my basket for damson season is short and who knows if the store will see anymore.It is autumn, a crumble is the only option for these little beauts; a shame that they are such buggers to de-stone. They are not going to retain their shape once cooked but care is taken in cutting them in half and removing the stone. Care taken for the first half dozen that is, after that impatients rules and they are, how shall we say, more ‘roughly’ handled. A bonus sucking the pulp and juice from the hands mind.

Delicious Almond and Damson crumble – autumn in a bowl.