Strawberry and cream cake<\/a> (James Martin)<\/p>\n [Image: Graur Razvan Ionut<\/a> \/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net]<\/p>\n
The start of Summer is a great time of year for food in the UK, with a positive bounty available to you.\u00a0 And that most quintessential of British fruit, the strawberry is suddenly very abundant.<\/p>\n
Traditionally the season was only a few weeks and the fruit wouldn\u2019t keep for long at all, but with new varieties and cultivation techniques, the season is much longer.\u00a0 But that does mean you get the best.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve lost count of the number of times that I\u2019ve bought supermarket strawberries and found them either only partially ripe or overripe (and sometimes both on the same berry!) and not particularly flavourful.\u00a0 And much as I\u2019d love to grow my own, I\u2019ve not so far got a decent crop (the black birds get there before me).\u00a0 \u00a0But 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.\u00a0 But this year I\u2019m in search of a pick-your-own producer – that way I can pick the ones I want and know how fresh they are.<\/p>\n
\u00a0So, what to do with them?\u00a0 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).\u00a0 As a desert, just by itself with cream, or meringue as a pavlova.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a couple of other ideas:<\/p>\n
Pink strawberry cheesecake<\/a> (Sophie Grigson)<\/p>\n Strawberry and cream cake<\/a> (James Martin)<\/p>\n [Image: Graur Razvan Ionut<\/a> \/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net]<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/philonfood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/strawberry.jpg?w=300\" "\\"strawberry\\"")
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