Its a lovely time of the year, although we didnt make wine this year, we always get given plenty by neighbours, and now the chestnuts are falling and gives us a chance to indulge in the evenings, we are lighting the range for cooking again now and tend to put a pot of chestnuts on to roast, we've introduced the lads to this and they love it... A great evening, scrabble, or Dice, chestnuts & wine, and lots of laughter...
Ive been busy pickling aubergines... I did one jar weeks ago, just as a try out, Gareth and I opened them last week to eat with cold pork. They were wonderful! Really garlicky and herby, with just a little pickle flavour... Ive since made three kilo jars...
All I do is...
Slice the aubergines up thickly, drop the slices into boiling white wine vinegar for about two mins.. leave to drain for a few mins on kitchen paper.
Meanwhile sterilise the jars by steeping in boiling water from the kettle, fill jars with layers of aubergines, bayleaves, coridander seed, black pepper corns and tons of thinly sliced garlic,(I also added a good sprig of rosemary to one jar) pour over a good extra virgin olive oil and seal jars, leave at least two weeks , a month is better if you can wait... 
