iven time, I will make my summer ice-cream of choice, fashioned from a true custard, with eggs and cream and fat vanilla pods, and churn it slowly until it is just shy of frozen. On other occasions I might roast figs and add them to a walnut and honey ice-cream to serve with a glass of grappa; or bake bananas and stir them into thick yogurt to freeze. But if I am away from home, armed with a less-than-ideal kitchen, I am up for something simpler: a granita or perhaps a tarted-up tub of commercial ice-cream. I might gather everyone round the table to top and tail some blackcurrants, then bring the berries to the boil with sugar and a little water, and ripple them through good vanilla ice-cream from a tub. We could add crushed walnuts toasted with a little honey, or some biscuit crumbs or sugar-encrusted trifle sponges. Then again, I might chop up some interesting chocolate – say roasted hazelnut or mint – to embellish a tub of basic vanilla. The crisp nuggets of chocolate turn it into a sort of instant stracciatella – one of the very best but often most difficult ices to track down. Granitas are straightforward; just remember to beat them with a fork every now and again as they freeze so that they become crystalline rather than freeze into a giant lollipop. And I’m not sure I’d say no to an updated banana split, served with fresh cherries tumbling down the mountain of bananas and whipped cream. Watermelon granita Refreshing, quick and simple. Serves 6 caster sugar 4 tbsp water 4 tbsp watermelon 1.5kg Make a sugar syrup by bringing the caster sugar and water to the boil in a small pan. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. You can speed the process up by lowering the saucepan into a bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Remove the rind from the watermelon and discard. You will end up with about 1 kg of flesh. Roughly chop the watermelon, then process to a thick slush in a blender or food processor. Stir the sugar syrup into the crushed watermelon, then pour into a stainless steel or rigid plastic freezer box and freeze for an hour. Using a fork, gently bring the crystals of frozen mixture that lie around the edges into the middle, then return it to the freezer. Do not let the granita freeze into one vast ice cube. Instead, encourage the crystallisation by regular, gentle mixing. Continue gently stirring the frozen crystals into the scarlet liquid every hour, until the granita is entirely, but lightly, frozen into millions of tiny crystals. It should take about 4 or 5 hours. Roast banana frozen yogurt The easiest of ices to make and for which no machine is needed. Makes 1 litre, serves 8 or more bananas 850g (5 medium) soft brown sugar 3 tbsp yogurt 500ml, natural, thick Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Peel the bananas and put them in a roasting tin. Sprinkle the sugar over them, then bake for 25 minutes until soft and the sugar is golden and syrupy. Remove the bananas from the oven, crush thoroughly with a fork or purée in a food processor. Allow to cool. Add dollops of whipped cream on top of the bananas, then trickle them with the melted dark chocolate. When the bananas are cool, fold in the yogurt, mixing thoroughly, then spoon into a freezer box and freeze for 3 hours. The ice is at its best when not frozen solid. (If that should happen, or you want to make it the day before, remove it from the freezer half an hour before serving.) Banana, cherry and chocolate sundae Serves 4 frozen yogurt see previous page for recipe dark chocolate 100g double cream 250ml bananas 4, ripe cherries 24, plus a few more for decoration walnuts to serve Take the yogurt from the freezer a good half-hour before you need it. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof mixing bowl. Balance the bowl over a small pan of simmering water and leave to melt. Don’t stir. Whip the cream until thick, taking care not to whisk for too long. It should be soft enough to hold a shape on the spoon, but not stiff enough to stand in peaks. Halve the cherries and discard the stones. Peel the bananas, cut them in half lengthways, and divide between 4 shallow dishes. Place spoonfuls of frozen yogurt in between the bananas. Add dollops of whipped cream on top, then trickle with the melted chocolate. Scatter over the walnuts and cherries, and serve. Blackcurrant and biscuit-crumb ice-cream You can also use trifle sponges or crumbled plain digestives. Serves 8 blackcurrants 450g, fresh or frozen sugar 3 tbsp water 4 tbsp sponge fingers 50g vanilla ice-cream 1 litre You will also need a high-sided freezer box approximately 22cm long and 20cm wide. Pull the currants from their stalks and put them in a small pan with the sugar and water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and leave for 2 or 3 minutes until the berries burst and the sugar melts. Leave to cool. Put the sponge fingers in the bowl of a food processor and reduce to coarse crumbs – or crumble by hand. Let the ice-cream soften slightly, then put it in a freezer box. Spoon in the currants and their syrup and swirl them through the ice-cream with a spoon. Scatter the crumbs over, cover and freeze for 2 hours before serving.