Helado de Limon

There are times when only a lemon will do and I'll go to any lengths (including sending Brian out in the rain) to get hold of one. Most fish is inedible without a squeeze of the acidy juice, icy jugs of water boring, salads bland and gin and tonics humdrum. I love lemons. When the boys ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas I say 'a box of lemons', and I mean it. I wish they grew here - how heavenly to step out into the sunshine and pick one whenever the need arose. I smiled when I read Chris Stewart's description of driving through a valley in Southern Spain. Lemon groves stretched into the distance on either side. One lemon had fallen from a tree and rolled into the middle of the road. He braked, backed up and drove around it, That's what I'd do. I could never run over a lemon. I could cut the top off and gouge out the innards though.

Whole Foods have huge Mediterranean lemons this week - 5 for £1. (Seems wrong that a lemon is worth so little.) Anyway, looked like a good time to have a go at the lemon ice cream that I've been planning. Removing the inside of the lemon wasn't as difficult as I had feared. I scraped it out with a teaspoon (remember to do the lid too) into a bowl and then strained the juice off as I wanted the ice cream to be smooth - no bits. You won't need the juice of all five lemons; two will be enough (the extra can be bottled and kept in the fridge).

Use a large, high sided bowl and dissolve 100grams of icing sugar in the lemon juice. Empty in a smallish (227ml) carton of double cream and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture is thick and soft but not stiff.

I balanced the lemons in a glass while I filled them. Add an extra dollop on the top and finish with a flourish (the space inside the lid will accommodate it once frozen). Put them in the freezer still in the glass.

I made a hole in the lid with a cocktail stick (that's a lie - Brian got the DeWalt out and drilled a hole in the lid as the lid was frozen solid) - so, BEFORE you freeze the lid make a hole close to where the stalk would be, then when you take it out of the freezer you can insert a couple of leaves (these ones were taken from the massive jasmine bush outside the back door and I think they look quite convincing).

              Eat in front of the computer while booking a holiday to the Costa Brava!!