Food: It isn't summer without berries!

RIPE and juicy, finger-staining and tart, berries capture the essence of summer.

This year it seems we're set to enjoy the best crop of summer berries in years, after the warm days and cool nights have produced a bumper load of delicious treats.

And they don't get much better than the Scottish variety. Longer days with plenty of sunshine coupled with the odd rain shower results in flavour-packed homegrown berries.

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There is so much more to summer berries than the ubiquitous strawberry, though, as farms across the country are also stuffed with raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, brambles and gooseberries. There are even loganberries, bilberries and boysenberries at this time of year.

One of the very best ways to know you are getting the freshest berry for the best price is to pick your own. There are lots of farms across the Lothians that allow you to do just that, so take advantage while the sun shines and the fruit is ripe.

Although strawberries and raspberries can be bought in supermarkets all year round, the flavour of imported berries doesn't hold a candle to berries picked locally.

Light and bursting with flavour, berries are synonymous with summer puddings. But whipping up delicious dishes with berries doesn't have to take masses of time, making them perfect for quick and tasty puddings.

A summer fruits crumble can be light and delicate, while a summer fruits jelly with champagne offers a decadent touch to a dessert.

Strawberry pavlova, blackberry sorbet and steamed berry pudding, all create the culinary wow factor.

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One of my personal favourites involves four tablespoons of crme de cassis mixed with 650g hulled strawberries, 250g raspberries and 250g blueberries. Sprinkle with a little sugar and cover and chill in the fridge to create a truly decadent yet simple pudding.

The window of opportunity for sampling the best of Scottish berries is a relatively small one, so don't waste a moment and get out there.

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• Craig Sandle is head chef of restaurant number one at The Balmoral, www.thebalmoral hotel.com, 0131-556 2414.

Vanilla pannacotta with strawberry compote and ice cream, serves four

Ingredients

125g caster sugar

225ml double cream

225ml milk

1 vanilla pod (halved with seeds scraped out)

2 gelatine leaves

125gm mascarpone cheese

20g butter

250g strawberries

caster sugar (to taste)

Fraise liquor (to taste)

Method

Soak gelatine in very cold water. Bring sugar, cream, milk and vanilla to the boil. Remove from the stove, squeeze excess water from gelatine and add to the hot liquid. Add in the mascarpone. Pour into glasses.

For the strawberry compote, cut strawberries into quarters, saut in a hot pan with the butter, add sugar and fraise liquor to taste. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with ice cream.

Strawberry, gingerbread and lemon millefeuille, serves four

Ingredients

1 loaf gingerbread

250g strawberries

300g double cream

10g lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Icing sugar (to taste)

Method:

Slice the gingerbread thinly and bake between two baking sheets until crisp. Cut into 12 rectangles. Whip the cream to ribbon stage and add in the lemon juice, zest and sugar to taste. Finish whipping to soft peak. Cut the strawberries into slices.

Layer the millefeuille up. Serve with a strawberry sauce.

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