Ingredients: Variety of red berries - strawberries, raspberries, wild miniature strawberries (sliced into small pieces, leaves removed) Tahitian vanilla bean 3-4 Black Olives Sugar Water Vanilla scented honey (plain honey will work also) Balsamic vinegar Olive oil Basil leaves Powdered sugar Basil Ice Cream (or French vanilla)

Methods:

1. Sugared olives:
   In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar; heat to create a syrup. While water and sugar mixture is heating, prepare olives by slicing and removing pits. Add olives to sugar syrup; allow syrup to coat olives; bring syrup just to a boil, then remove saucepan from heat and let stand for olives to absorb the syrup.
2. Arrange a mound berries on plate; this is best done with a round frame to form the berries. Using a slotted spoon, remove the olives from the saucepan, and place them around the top of the berries.
3. Strip the vanilla bean of its skin by scraping the inside out with a knife. In a small bowl, combine vanilla, 1 tsp or so of sugar and 3-4 strawberries; mash together well. Spoon mixture on top of plated berries and olives. To decorate plate and add flavour, use vanilla scented honey, a small amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Two rings of honey, dots of balsamic vinegar inside the rings, and olive oil in the spaces between the dots.
4. Deep-fry basil leaves (3 per plate) in hot olive oil; they will cook in a matter of seconds; remove from oil, dry on paper towel, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Add leaves to plate of berries ­ place on outside of plate. Top the mound of berries and olives with a scoop of ice cream.