Instructions: Heat the water sugar and a couple of tablespoons of syrup from the stem ginger jar together in a pan and bring to the boil to make a clear syrup.

Peel the orange and slice it across the grain into rounds 5mm thick remove any pips.

Cut each apple in half remove the cores and quarter.

Cut the pears in half lengthways remove the cores and cut into quarters.

Remove the grapes from their stalks and if they have seeds halve and de pip them.

Put the apples and pears into the syrup and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the thyme (if its dried put it in a muslin bag so that you can retrieve it without it coating the fruit).

Add the orange slices and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Slice the pieces of stem ginger as thinly as you can add these to the pan along with the grapes and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Pour into a shallow gratin dish or similar china or glass container remove the thyme and allow the mixture to cool a little before eating.

This is a simple autumn compote flavoured with thyme and ginger unexpected as a combination for fruit but marvellously effective nonetheless. You can chill this compote but perhaps best of all eat it while its still warm.

Serves 4

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