A Taste of Summer

British weather is always unpredictable so we have to make the most of it whilst it lasts. This year I have taken full advantage of local produce grown in my local area, where I have picked my own fruit at Syston Park Fruit Farm. There I picked strawberries, gooseberries, elderflowers and rhubarb, the experience inspired me to go home and use the flavors of my local area and put my grandmothers recipes to life.

Rhubarb sorbet

Ingredients:

5 cups sliced rhubarb
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Combine rhubarb and water in a large saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Once boiled remove from heat and strain mixture through a sieve in a bowl.

3. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir until sugar has dissolved.

4. Cover and leave the bowl so the rhubarb can infuse for 30 minutes.

5. Mix and freeze the sorbet.

Elderflower sorbet

Ingredients:

10 elderflower heads
4 cups water
2 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 2 lemons

Preparation:

1. Place sugar and the water into a large saucepan on a medium heat and stir occasionally until sugar has dissolved.

2. Increase heat and boil the sugar syrup for 6 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and juice, along with the elderflower heads.

4. Cover and leave to infuse over night.

5. The following day, strain mixture into a container and freeze.

Strawberry and raspberry rose flavored jelly

Ingredients:

½ cup of sugar
100ml raspberry and rose cordial
500ml water
700g fresh strawberries
11g powdered gelatin

Preparation:

1. Mix the cordial and water together and pour sugar into a large saucepan.

2. Boil mixture for 5 minutes and leave to cool.

3. Meanwhile take 500g of the strawberries and place into a blender, leave the other 200g to one side.

4. Pour blended strawberries into a saucepan along with the cordial water and sugar, then leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

5. Sprinkle gelatin into mixture and stir until dissolved.

6. Heat mixture and let it simmer very gently but do not allow it to boil.

7. Fill the bottom of a jelly mould with the left over strawberries and pour a layer of strawberry mixture over them. Let jelly to set in the fridge for ten minutes.

8. Repeat process until you fill the jelly mould. (by doing this strawberries will set into the jelly instead of floating to the top.)

9. Keep jelly refrigerated and serve with fresh sorbet/ ice cream or whipped cream.

Gooseberry jelly

Ingredients:

100g sugar
600ml water
700g fresh gooseberries
11g powdered gelatin

Preparation:

1. Top and tail gooseberries and place in a frying pan with 25g of sugar and heat gently until tender.

2. Put 600ml of water and 75g of sugar into a large saucepan.

3. Boil mixture for 5 minutes and leave to cool.

4. Pour the sugared gooseberries into a saucepan along with water and sugar, then leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

5. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve and put gooseberries to one side.

6. Sprinkle gelatin into mixture and stir until dissolved.

7. Heat mixture and let it simmer very gently but do not allow it to boil.

8. Fill the bottom of a jelly mould with the gooseberries and pour a layer of mixture over them. Let jelly to set in the fridge for ten minutes.

9. Repeat process until you fill the jelly mould. (by doing this gooseberries will set into the jelly instead of floating to the top.)

10. Keep jelly refrigerated and serve with fresh sorbet/ ice cream or whipped cream.