Summer Celebrations

I started writing the Seasonal Celebration category focusing on Christmas. Mainly because it is my favourite of all the year's celebrations and also because it seemed a logical way to start the seasonal celebration calender. But Chef Chahna thought otherwise. She told me to get off Christmas and start writing recipes for the current season of Summer, especially as the weather is stunning right now.

She is probably right, though I may still have a little dip into my Christmas post when no one is looking. I love writing about that whole cosy, nostalgic and magical season.

So for now, it's back to Summer.

I thought I would write about some desserts that would suit an alfresco dining menu. Even if you don't have any garden furniture, you can take a table and chairs outside and hang some fairy lights on the fence or trees, chill some wine, beer or soft drinks, and then enjoy a long, languid meal. You can even imagine that you are in one of those Mediterranean Countries where the meal lasts well into the night.

If you don't have a garden or patio, just open your windows wide and pretend. You'll still hear the bird song and breathe in the Summer air, plus you are less likely to get bitten by mosquitoes.

Whether you are having a basic buffet/BBQ or a full monty sit down garden meal, these desserts will add a touch of sunshine to your dining experience.

Berry Fruit Salad

Lets start with a colourful and refreshing berry fruit salad. Not only does it look stunning , but it is full of the taste and scent of Summer. It is also an easy dessert to prepare fresh on the morning of your celebration so that you are not stuck in a hot kitchen while everyone else is chilling outside.

Recipe

1. 450g (1lb) fresh , ripe strawberries

2. 230g (8oz) ripe blueberries

3. 100g (4oz) ripe raspberries

4. 100g (4oz) ripe blackberries

5. Zest of one small lime

6. 1 tbsp lime juice

7. 1 tbsp honey

Method

This is the one time when you don't have to follow the recipe exactly. Heck, its a fruit salad, you can make it however you like. I do think that the the red and black coloured fruits look amazing together, but I never measure out the quantities of each, I just use the recipe as a guide line for the relative amounts and then add as much of each berry as I need for the number of people eating. You can also just use strawberries and blueberries, but the other berries do add extra flavour and taste.

1. Wash all of the berries, lay out on kitchen paper towel and gently pat dry. Wet fruit goes mouldy much faster (as I have learnt to my cost), so its worth taking the time to dry it as well as you can.

2. Transfer the berries to a large, decorative glass bowl. There are plenty of cheap, but attractive glass serving bowls available online and in the shops. So maybe check some out, because they can also be used for trifles and other desserts where you want to show off the layers or the colours.

3. Whisk together the lime zest , lime juice and honey . Pour over the fruit and gently toss to coat all of the berries.

4. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge.

5. The fruit salad will last 1-2 days, but is best served fresh. The lime and honey dressing is not essential, but it does help balance the sweetness of the berries and enhances the overall taste of the dessert.

To Serve a Berry Fruit Salad

The simplest way to serve this dish is chilled in a decorative glass bowl and accompanied by whipped double cream, sweetened with 1 tbsp icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract (both added halfway through whipping the cream). The white, thick cream looks absolutely stunning along side the red and black of the berries. Did you know that white, red and black are actually the most complimentary colours for a person with a Winter skin complexion (now I've started thinking about Christmas again)

Another side dish for the berry salad is home made ice cream. Obviously, it is easier to serve with shop bought ice cream, but home made ice cream raises the taste, skill and Kudos of the whole dessert. And you will really feel that you are becoming a dessert master.