Croutons of fried apple and goat's cheese

Hello everyone, well, for those of you wondering where I ended up having dinner last Saturday, it was Aki's at Woolloomooloo Bay Wharf http://www.akisindian.com.au/. It was a perfect early autumn evening and we were seated outside so could soak up the setting sun and all the atmosphere down there. We had a gorgeous meal and best of all, Chris gave me a very treasured farewell gift - Matthew Evan's new book, The Real Food Companion http://www.readings.com.au/product/9781741967203/the-real-food-companion. How lucky am I? I know that this will be a book I use very regularly and refer to all the time. I can't wait to start reading it over Easter!

This week's recipe is a hint of the cool evenings that must be going to reach us eventually, although I don't mind summer playing out as long as possible. It comes from the Autumn/Winter edition of SOS and is heaven.

Have a happy week. Love from Jane xxx

Croutons of fried apple and goats cheese

Serves eight

What you need:

• 250g butter
• 6 fresh and crisp red apples, cored and sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 loaf of country style bread
• About 500g mature goats cheese, sliced

What you do:

1. Melt half the butter in a large pan.
2. Toss the apple slices in the butter and cook gently for about 15 minutes, turning until tender and a little caramelised.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a dish and keep warm.
4. Cut 8 slices of bread.
5. Fry the bread slices in the remaining melted butter until golden on both sides.
6. Pile the slices of apple on to the croutons and top with the slices of cheese.
7. Serve immediately with a green salad.