Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

I LOVE the period between now and the end of October. There's lots of nourishing free food available in woodland and hedgerow.

Rosehips, for example, are very rich in vitamin C and if you drink rosehip syrup every day, or even once a week, it will do you as much good as a large orange juice. The syrup also tastes smashing!

Vitamin C is contained in fresh fruits and vegetables. Lack of it leads to skin problems and in the worst cases scurvy. This causes bleeding from cracked skin and from the gums.

The edible field mushroom is another treat and it's easily identifiable. The top of its cap is white and can easily be peeled. Turn the cap over and if the underside is full of pink gills then it can only be the edible mushroom.

These can be eaten with bacon or steak, but they can be made into a very nourishing soup which is a meal in itself.

If you fancy a nice pudding you could collect some blackberries and make a pie.

I usually gather a few wild crab apples to mix with the blackberries and eat it with a nice blob of cream. Instead of using sugar the pie can be sweetened with honey. Finally, if you fancy an alcoholic drink the Lancashire countryside is full of elder trees and the wine produced from the purple berries is excellent.

Some people say it is as good as port wine and in the old days those more interested in profits than morals used to mix elderberry and port. Most customers failed to tell the difference.

ROSEHIP SYRUP

450g rosehips

3 pints boiling water

325g sugar

CHOP the rosehips and put them into boiling water. Simmer for five minutes then leave them to stand for 15 minutes.

Strain the liquid on to the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Store the syrup in hot storage jars. When it has cooled it is ready to use. It should be diluted as a cordial.

MUSHROOM SOUP

275g sliced mushrooms

1 finely chopped small onion 50g butter

50g plain flour

1 pint chicken stock

2 teaspoons lemon juice

pint milk

salt and black pepper

cream

MELT the butter in a pan and fry the onion gently for five minutes until it softens but not browns. Add the mushrooms, cook gently for five minutes, stirring. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the soup has thickened. Stir in the lemon juice and milk, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Season and stir well. Swirl a little cream into each bowl before serving.