The poplars are beginning to turn bright yellow and one's eye naturally follows the trees up the valley. Now is harvest time. It is the end of October and the almonds are being gathered in the fields. There are piles of cracked husks in the countryside and outside the cooperative in the local town. Ripe red peppers from the huerto (allotment) are strung up to dry against the whitewashed walls of the terrazas (verandas); tomatoes and figs are spread out on azoteas (rooftops). The only vegetables that are still growing are the calabaza (pumpkin), acelga (chard) and col (cabbage). Later the grapes and olives will follow, along with chestnuts and persimmons.

It is time to prepare for the winter months, preserving the fruits that have been grown during the summer. The finale is usually the slaughter of a fattened pig. Over a couple of days the beast is turned into myriad salchichón (salami), chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage), jamón y paletillas (cured ham and shoulder), as well as tocino (pig fat) and panceta (cured pork belly) to last the whole year.

Autumn is also the hunting season. It is common to spot hunters in camouflage clothing with their dogs around the mountains. They are after most wild things: perdiz (partridge), jabalí (wild boar), ciervo (deer) or cabra montes (the ibex or wild mountain goat). These are often stewed al ajillo, with garlic and wine.

Tasca burra (salt cod, tomato and olive salad)

The red peppers and tomatoes that are dried on the terraces and rooftops are often made into a salad called tasca burra. We have tasted a couple of versions, a simple one made with chopped dried tomato and red pepper, thyme and cured black olives, served with fresh cheese, flavoured with thyme, or a more traditional version with salt cod.

Serves four.

100g sun-blushed or half-dried tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
75g black olives, halved and pitted
half tsp ground cumin
2 dried ñoras peppers, broken open and covered with boiling water, or half tsp sweet paprika
half small red onion, finely chopped
100g salt cod, soaked for 12-24 hours, then skinned and shredded (optional)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and black pepper

Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Pound the garlic and thyme together in a mortar. Put all these in a bowl, along with the olives, cumin, peppers, onion and shredded salt cod. Pour over the olive oil, toss and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve with the chopped parsley on top.

Carne en salsa de almendras (pork in almond sauce)

Carne en salsa is found throughout Spain and is eaten as a tapa or main course. What makes this recipe particular to the Alpujarras area is the way the sauce is thickened with almonds.

Serves four .

6 tbsp olive oil
50g whole almonds, preferably with skins on
50g white bread, without crusts, roughly diced
1 head garlic, plus 4 garlic cloves
1kg free-range pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2cm cubes
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 small mild onions, halved
1 large tomato, halved
2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
1 dried ñoras pepper, seeds removed and torn in pieces, or half tsp extra paprika
400ml white wine
sea salt and black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and add the almonds and bread. Fry for a couple of minutes until golden, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate with the four garlic cloves.

Still with the saucepan on the heat, salt the pork and add to the pan, along with the whole head of garlic (sliced in half widthways so as to release its flavour), the paprika, onion, tomato, bay leaves, dried pepper and white wine. Simmer for 50-60 minutes, covered.

Remove from the heat. With a spoon, take out the onion and tomato and transfer to a food processor along with the almonds, bread, the four garlic cloves and four tablespoons of the cooking liquid, and whiz until almost smooth. Add this sauce to the meat, replace on the heat and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, uncovered, or until the meat is soft and tender and the juice as thick as double cream (add water if too thick). Check the seasoning once more. Traditionally served with fried potatoes, but mashed would be just as delicious.

Pastel de almendras (almond cake)

We find many Spanish puddings very sweet, but this almond cake is delicious, and is made by Hilde, a friend of Josefa, who lives above our village. She prepares her almonds by soaking them in boiling water until the skins loosen and can easily be popped off. Almonds prepared this way do have a better flavour, which is preferable for this cake, though not essential. Serves six to eight .

150ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the tin
165g light brown sugar
4 medium eggs
175g blanched almonds, ground (some fine, some medium, some coarse, for bite and texture)
100g plain flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/gas mark 4. In a processor or with an electric whisk (or, indeed, by hand), whisk the olive oil, sugar and eggs together until pale and fluffy (about 10-15 minutes on a medium-high speed). This whisking is important as it beats air into the mixture and makes it light. Now gently fold in all but two handfuls of the almonds and all the sifted flour until evenly mixed, taking care not to knock out any air. Pour into a 26cm flan or pastry tin, sprinkle the remaining ground almonds on top, and place in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cake is firm and golden brown. Remove and cool on a rack. We ate this accompanied by an infusion made from local wild rosemary, thyme and rosebuds from the hills. Nectar!

Fresh cheese (with rennet)

One day we were sitting on the terrace when there was a loud knock on the door. 'Tengo queso fresco. Quieres?' (I have fresh cheese. Do you want one?). Five minutes later, the woman returned with a beautiful fresh cheese and a bunch of radishes from her allotment. Just a couple of days old, the cheese was soft, creamy and mildly goaty, made from the milk of her goats that roam around the foothills of the mountains.

This inspired us to make our own cheese, which is so easy to do, provided you have what the Spanish call cuajo (rennet). Animal rennet comes from an enzyme extracted from the stomach of calves and lambs. Vegetarian rennet, often made from crushed cardoon flowers, is sometimes used in Spain and Morocco. You can buy both in supermarkets. Makes around 1kg of cheese.

2.4 litres full-fat organic milk, goat's or cow's
half tsp rennet

Gently heat the milk to 32C/90F, then stir in the rennet. Transfer to a stainless steel or glass bowl, cover with clingfilm, and leave in a warm place for half an hour until the curd starts to separate from the whey, and the milk sets. Cut the curd into 3cm squares with a thin knife to help release more of the whey. Cover and leave in a warm place for an hour. When the cheese is firm enough to lift with a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to a colander set within a bowl. Refrigerate for at least six hours, or until the curds and whey have fully separated and the cheese is firm. To speed things up, cut the curd into smaller cubes

© Samantha and Samuel Clark, 2004.

· This is an edited extract from Casa Moro, by Sam and Sam Clark, published by Ebury Press on November 4 at £25. To reserve a copy for £23 (with free p&p), call 0870 836 0875 (or visit theguardian.com/bookshop).

Next week: Salads. Cauliflower with tomato and cumin; parsnip, yogurt and date; gem lettuce with crispy garlic.