The very thought of autumn makes my taste-buds fire up. Salads slowly make way for hearty soups, delicately light mousses for warming fruit pies. For me, autumn is all about the harvest – a wonderful crop of delicious fruits and vegetables: apples, blackberries, butternut squash, leeks, parsnips, pears, pumpkins… the list is long and varied.

In my twenties, I first found my way to England, which I now call home for part of the year. Having lived before in Egypt and Switzerland, and travelled extensively around Europe, I was familiar with different cuisines, but sampling English food was an enlightening experience, and I soon came to love one of the staple autumnal desserts: fruit crumble.

Many people think of crumble as a heavy and filling desert – one that demands a digestive pause after the main course. But in fact, crumble need not be heavy at all: I simply use more fruits and less crumble topping.

Here are some wonderful fruit combinations (I love to use pears, apples and plums from my garden): spiced apple and raisin; apple and cherry; blackberry and apple; plum and apple; blackberry and pear; blackberry and pear and apple; pear, apple and nectarine; rhubarb and apple; rhubarb and ginger; apple and raspberry; apple and gooseberry.

And here’s a simple recipe for turning raw fruits into a comforting and delicious dessert:

Fruit for the filling

200g plain flour

100g unsalted butter

100g sugar (white or demarara)

2 tbsp cinnamon (optional)

Grated rind of one lemon (optional)

1 breakfast wheat bisc, broken into crumbs (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Prepare the fruit (some can simply be washed and chopped; some require a little pre-cooking – soften in butter on a low heat for up to ten minutes.)
3. Rub together the flour and butter until you have crumbs. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the wheat bisc).
4. Sprinkle the crumble mix over the fruit, and top with the wheat bisc.
5. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until golden-brown.

You can, if you prefer, make individual portions in little dishes. Serve with a dash of custard or cream.