IF YOU also suffer from ‘cookbook-OCDitis’, then you will empathise with my dilemma during a recent de-cluttering session.

There I was feeling rather proud of myself – I had managed to earmark about 30 books for the charity shop. Admittedly, about 300 remain, firmly glued to the shelf, but to actually manage to surrender 30 has to be something of an achievement, for me.

And so it was, therefore, that the man at Age Concern in Kendal was no help whatsoever when I dropped the books off at the Station Road warehouse.

“I am trying to streamline my collection,” I explained.

“You collect cookbooks do you?” the reply.

“We’ve got hundreds here, you should come in and check some of them out.”

And that was how, having just given all those books away, I nearly – very nearly – ended up taking as many home again.

I resisted – just!

However, when I returned ‘chez nous’, the postman had left me two more. I had forgotten that I recently ordered two review copies from Duncan Baird Publishing.

My excuse? I haven’t got any books devoted to gluten and dairy-free cooking. But I do now!

Both written by Grace Cheetham for DBP, ‘Simply Gluten-free & Dairy-Free’ (hardback, priced £14.99), and ‘The Best Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, & Dairy-Free Recipes’ (softback, priced £12.99), prove that a special diet doesn’t mean a boring diet.

Far from it with dishes like apricot, cranberry and goji berry granola; prawn, broad bean and avocado bruchetta (GF bread recipe supplied); mango and hazelnut florentines; and roasted onion and lemon thyme tart – all from the hardback collection.

The softback book features carrot and beetroot cupcakes; roasted squash, bacon and leek risotto; and almond cake with passionfruit syrup.

These are all wonderful recipes – whether you are on a special diet or not!

And now for this week’s Checkout recommendations starting with new season English Cox’s apples from Greenbanks in Kendal (£1.76 per kilo); and rocky road tray bake from Grange Bakery (80p per square).

Steadmans at Sedbergh has family-sized pies frozen and ready to bake including steak and kidney, for example, pork and cider, and turkey and ham (from £3.89 each).

This week’s extra special meal deals come from Plumgarths at Kendal which is offering a 3lb mince pack for only £7.49; and a 3lb stewing steak pack for £8.49.

Also, Richardsons at Bowness has whole lambs from Andrew Denny in the Lyth Valley which can be cut and bagged for the freezer as required. The lambs weigh approximately 20 kilos and represent excellent value at £3 per lb – why not share with a friend?

Finally, Cartmel Village Shop has three new puddings to brighten your autumn evenings – sticky toffee apple crumble (£3.99, serve with cream, custard, or whatever takes your fancy); black forest pudding (£5.25, serve with ice cream or cream); and tangy lemon drizzle pudding (£4.25, also serve with ice cream or cream).

These are all hot puddings, and serve three to four people.

Finally, there will be a seasonal flavour to October’s farmers market at Orton on Saturday, October 8, including a chance for visitors and local fruit growers to find out what they have in their orchards and to press apple juice from their own crop.

Cumbrian apple expert, Hilary Wilson (pictured) will be at the market with members of the North Cumbria Orchard Group and they will be bringing along an electric apple mill as well as their traditional juice press and plenty of samples of local apple varieties.