I’ve been very lucky that during lockdown I am still able to get my fortnightly fruit & veg box from Abel & Cole. Understandably though the choice of boxes has been limited. Whereas before you could see what products you’d be receiving in advance {and indeed swap them for others if you prefer}, for now the box just guarantees the quantities rather than the varieties. I’m OK with that though. In fact I’m enjoying the pot luck deliveries and think I may even carry on that way once the restrictions start to lift. Everything we’ve received during lockdown has been fresh, organic, seasonal and delicious and for that I am very grateful.

A few weeks ago we received some pears as part of our delivery, so I decide to bake them into a simple puff pastry tart with almonds and cinnamon - all of which I had to hand in the kitchen cupboard. It served as a welcome pudding, warm with a dollop of crème fraîche and there was still enough leftover to have cold with coffee mid-morning the next day.

PEAR, ALMOND + CINNAMON TART

320g ready-rolled puff pastry
1 beaten free-range egg
4 thinly sliced pears
Juice of 1 lemon
100g ground almonds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp marmalade

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Unroll the ready-rolled puff pastry onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a 1cm border all the way round. Generously brush the beaten egg all over the pastry.

In a bowl, mix the pears with the lemon juice. Combine the ground almonds and ground cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the centre of the pastry. Top with the pear mixture.

Sprinkle over the brown sugar, then bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Warm through the marmalade with a few drops of water in a small pan over a low heat, then generously brush over the finished tart.