Rachel Allen

Strawberry delights

The strawberry is synonymous with summer. Scarlet red in colour and perfectly sweet in flavour, this is the berry that comes with a promise of long, sunny days and balmy evenings, with picnics, barbecues, and perhaps a bit of Wimbledon thrown in for good measure.

If there’s one fruit that can plonked in a bowl in the centre of the table, with some vanilla-scented whipped cream and caster sugar on the side — it’s the strawberry. Having said that, it also loves being poached, baked and roasted too. Paired with rhubarb, peaches, basil or even just a splash of balsamic vinegar — for me, the strawberry never fails to stun.

Jam-packed with vitamin C and also containing potassium, folic acid and fibre, it’s not surprising the Asians have called these little red wonder-berries ‘queen of the fruits’ for centuries.

In Ancient Roman times, the wild strawberry (which, like its cultivated cousin, is actually a member of the rose family) was used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes, such as alleviating gout, fever, kidney stones and bad breath.

The summer strawberry gratins recipe, right, is one of Sarah Raven’s, which I’ve slightly tweaked. So simple and completely delicious, this is summer in a bowl. The strawberry and raspberry squares, far right, are just perfect for a picnic, or to enjoy with a cuppa anywhere. Serve them warm as a dessert if you fancy, with some custard or ice-cream on the side.

And the strawberry and rose meringue nests, also far right, are a perfect example of where strawberries are also so happy: with sweet sticky meringues, softly whipped cream and a touch of floral rose water. Anyone for tennis?

“If there’s one fruit that can plonked in a bowl in the centre of the table — it’s the strawberry”