There are several things I struggle to cook well. Steak is one of them. Pork chops are another. I manage to dry them out to the consistency of boot leather, and so I rarely cook them. I was determined to find a method that works for me, and remembered an old Delia Smith recipe where you bake them with chopped mushrooms and cream. Lots of cream.

I had the mushrooms, but no cream. Could I adapt it? Why not.

I lightly browned the chops in a frying pan, then transferred them to a roasting tin, one small enough that they fit snugly together. Then I quickly fried the chopped mushrooms in the pork juices, and added a tablespoon of flour, and around 500ml of stock. The texture was lumpy and ugly, but I spooned it over the chops, covered tightly with foil, and placed at the bottom of a medium oven (170 degrees).

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While they cooked gently, I turned my attention to the bag of almost-overripe apples in the larder, and turned them into a pie. Not just any pie, but the “Ultimate Apple Pie” from the BBC Goodfood website: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ultimate-apple-pie

This had an enriched shortcrust pastry that came out delicious. I added a couple of very ripe, chopped plums to the sliced apples, to make it an apple and plum pie. I like that combo.

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Damned oven. Again. The pastry was done, but the apples were firmer than I preferred. Served with a helping of good vanilla ice cream, though, and it was delicious