The start of Summer is a great time of year for food in the UK, with a positive bounty available to you.  And that most quintessential of British fruit, the strawberry is suddenly very abundant.

Traditionally the season was only a few weeks and the fruit wouldn’t keep for long at all, but with new varieties and cultivation techniques, the season is much longer.  But that does mean you get the best.

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve bought supermarket strawberries and found them either only partially ripe or overripe (and sometimes both on the same berry!) and not particularly flavourful.  And much as I’d love to grow my own, I’ve not so far got a decent crop (the black birds get there before me).   But I have found that by trying the different supermarket varieties I have found ones I prefer – personally I like Sonata as they have a real flavour.  But this year I’m in search of a pick-your-own producer – that way I can pick the ones I want and know how fresh they are.

 So, what to do with them?  I love the excuse for a decedant drink – with a little bubbly or part of Pims (mint is pretty much at its best as well).  As a desert, just by itself with cream, or meringue as a pavlova.  Here’s a couple of other ideas:

Pink strawberry cheesecake (Sophie Grigson)

Strawberry and cream cake (James Martin)

[Image: Graur Razvan Ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net]