What To Eat Now

Valentine visits an archaeological dig in Northumberland and turns the tables on the rabbits who are wreaking havoc with the ruins. The rabbits end up on the menu in a deliciously simple stew with peas, cider and lettuce. Then Valentine heads to the hills of North Wales to source perfect autumn lamb for his melting dish of slow roast lamb with bitter herbs and honey; and he visits Derbyshire in search of the black gold of the food world: truffles.

Valentine goes on the charm offensive as he takes on the ladies of the Women's Institute by entering his sloe gin and blackberry jelly in a competition to find the tastiest dessert; sources the two main ingredients for his quick and simple crayfish with hazelnut stuffing from the banks of the River Kennet; and goes on a mission to convert some clay pigeon enthusiasts to the delights of the real thing with a warm autumn salad of wood pigeon, roast chicory and pickled walnuts.

One of Valentine's lasting childhood memories is the fabulous taste of his dad's pumpkin soup, and with this in mind he sets off in search of the perfect pumpkins. He makes a deliciously sweet onion tart, and at the Newent Onion Fayre his competitive streak comes to the fore as he attempts to break the record for eating a raw onion. Plus, he tracks down the best beetroot in Britain for a scrumptious seasonal salad of beetroot and green sauce.

Valentine celebrates the very best of autumn fruit, enlisting the help of a community of Benedictine monks in North Yorkshire in his search for the best Bramley for his autumnal pudding - Apple Charlotte. He overindulges on a visit to the country's biggest collection of plum trees in the Garden of England and creates a sweet and scrumptious plum crumble. Finally, Valentine proves that pear and cheese is a perfect autumn pairing as he makes a delicious, sweet and savoury treat - pear and cheese tart.

Valentine travels to the remote Scottish island of Jura in search of red deer. He is bound to see a stag or two but managing to shoot one for his venison pie may not be quite so simple. Valentine thinks plump partridges are a fabulously tasty autumn treat and a great choice for people who are not partial to birds with too gamey a flavour. Taking inspiration from his travels he cooks up partridge with raz el hanout, a heady mix of spices and seeds popular in Morocco. Finally Valentine gets very excited at the prospect of the crispy skin and juicy breasts of autumn duck, cooking up a delicious dish of mallard with puy lentils and chanterelle mushrooms.

Valentine battles the tide when he travels to Holy Island off the coast of Northumberland for the plumpest mussels to make his delicious take on a Cornish pasty - a mussel empanada. He sets sail from Cornwall in search of the ultimate autumn treat of delicious deep fried oysters, and he tries to get a group of lifeguards hooked on his all time favourite fish with a quick and simple supper of mackerel on toast. If you eat food that's in season you get the best flavour and the best bargains. Why eat anything else?