Foraging - Only for the brave hearted

I don't want to bore you by continuing to blab on about the many edible treats that lie in wait in our hedgerows, gardens, roadsides and local parks, so ill try to make this as quick as possible.

As i try to grasp my fingers onto the last few weeks of the vegetable growing season, I'm aiming to drag it out as long as i can with newly planted lambs lettuce, two different variety's of lettuce and the new house hold favourite spinach. Whilst greens are my prize winning growers I'm lacking feebly in the fruit growing department with only an extremely early small strawberry harvest which never made it past the back door, this is why i have to look elsewhere when it comes to any fruit based recipes i wish to make.

I have a love-hate relationship with the beginning of autumn, the first crisp early morning sunrises are a natural treasure that are only enjoyed by my fellow early risers but the extra layers of clothing and the dull itch of my awakening chill blanes are the price to pay for such a site. Stoking up the log burning fire at night is possibly one of life's greatest comforts, the transfixing flickering flames ease you into a state of ultimate relax - ness, yet the cleaning of the fire and the hour - long process it takes to start emulating some form heat is a chillingly painful process. This table tennis like process continues well into late spring until the first signs of my vegetable patch stirring back to life with its first green shoots of tasty goodness begin to raise their beautiful heads.

The one thing that has no downside to its autumnal display is the immense variety of seasonal fruit that becomes available. Apples, pears, plums, blackberries, elderberries, mulberries, rose hips are only too mention but a few, keep your wits about you whilst on your daily errands and keep your eyes peeled for some of natures most prized processions in car parks, neighbours gardens and on local walking paths ( i once found 12 heavily laden blueberry bushes out side a local convenient store, next door to a university campus).

Friends bless me with carrier bags full of fruit they have harvested from their garden, variety's mostly unknown but all still used in the same manner - jam, pies, crumbles etc - they never disappoint.

Within my most recent welcomed gifts a small but ample collection of conference pears laid upon my table and although some are destined for a crumble i wanted to try poaching two of these perfectly womanly shaped fruits.

To partner it i decided to once again risk life and limb and collect some extra large and perfectly ripe blackberries i had stumbled across that day. ( To those of you who would like to take up foraging as a hobby be warned - blackberries are like the soft fruit alternative to  pirhanas, spiking and easily scratching away at your poor distressed hands. The most beautiful ready to eat berry's are also normally hidden by an extremely protective barrier of vicious stinging nettles, breaking into waitrose to steal some blackberries may seem like an easier option then to try avoid being brutally stung, however don't let me put you off!)

My aim for the blackberries was to make a blackberry coulis which could swept threw some freshly made vanilla ice cream, thus making Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream - a soon to become staple part of our diet.

As i don't like to make things simple i decided to tart the dessert up a bit by serving the pear gracefully posing on a soft cushion of 3 small pancakes and rounded it all off with mean drizzling of toffee sauce.

R had claimed that this dish rounded off what could of been his most favourite tea ever ( monk fish on a piperade sauce was served first ), as we all know this is a claim that regularly passes through Rs lips, even more so after he has had a particularly hard day at work. I'm more than happy to try and one - up - myself on a regular basis to try and find his next 'most favourite meal ever', however what i don't appreciate when I'm putting myself under duress in the kitchen is a barrage of text messages from R ( hes only in the next room ) that normally follow the same pattern -

I'm hungry

I'm really hungry

I'm really, really hungry

I'm really , really, REALLY HUNGRY

I think you get the picture.

Poached Pears

Peel 2 conference or any BRITISH pears, place in a pan and add enough water to immerse the pears, about a tablespoon of caster sugar and a split vanilla pod.

Bring to a boil then allow to simmer for around 20 - 30 Min's until softened.

Keep the pears in the sugar stock in the fridge until ready to use.

Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream

Take two large handfuls of blackberries and place them in a pan with a small amount of water.

Heat gently and cook until the berry's have softened and have started to break up slightly.

Sieve in one large tablespoon of icing sugar and blend till you have a puree.

If you prefer it completely smooth, pass the coulis through a fine sieve.

For the ice cream heat 300ml of milk in a saucepan, but do not allow to boil.

In a separate bowl whisk 4 egg yolks with 100g caster sugar until you have a smooth paste.

Once your milk is teetering on boiling point, take off the heat and slowly pour over your egg yolk mixture whisking as you go. Once all the mixture has been Incorporated return it back to the pan and heat gently until your mixture starts to thicken ( it will make a film over the back of a wooden spoon ). Take off the heat and allow to cool.

Once cool add your mixture to your ice - cream maker according to the manufacturer's instruction's, when its ready to freeze place a tin layer of ice cream in your preferred container then spoon over a thin layer of raspberry coulis repeat these layers until all your ice has been used up ( you should have enough coulis left over for a sauce ), then take a round bladed knife and gently make swirls in your ice cream causing a ripple effect. Place in a freezer until needed.