Food: These fruity recipes are just ripe for the picking

WHEN Steven Adair was a child he would scour his grandmother's garden in Joppa for fruit - ripe, juicy apples and pears she would later turn into delicious dishes for the family to enjoy.

Those long, late summer days were a big influence on the future chef and owner of the Glasshouse off the Mile, as were his gran and his mum, who he describes as "phenomenal cooks".

Indeed, he's based his whole career on the passion for food he learned from them, preparing only the finest locally sourced produce he can find for his restaurant on St Giles Street.

Today the former Portobello High pupil even grows fruit in his own back garden and uses it in the restaurant, situated in the ground floor of the Fraser Suites hotel on St Giles Street.

"My gran had lots of fruit trees in her garden," explains Steven. "Her and my grandad would also bring us back lots of different cheeses when they went on holiday to France and Spain, so from a very young age I learned a real understanding of food.

"Fresh produce right off the tree is what I always remember cooking with when I was a little boy."

With that as his inspiration, Steven has offered two recipes for readers to try at home, confident they can be easily replicated by even the most novice chefs.

"Fruits like apples and pears are very much in season at the moment," he explains. "I recommend people pick them up from farmers' markets or local producers though, as they tend to have far more flavour than much of the supermarket stock."

Steven insists we are all guilty of heading to supermarkets for convenience food as it offers a quick solution to modern day, hectic lifestyles.

"But these desserts are so easy to make and they aren't time consuming," he says.

• Steven Adair is executive head chef/proprietor of The Glasshouse off the Mile, 12-26 St Giles Street, 0131-225 4564.