Summer Loving

June has to be one of my favourite months of the year for many reasons: it means Christmas is only another six months away, it’s my birthday, so I get some lovely presents to keep me going until Santa makes his next debut, but most importantly of all, (being a food lover), there are some delicious ingredients back in season.

This month, we see the return of the strawberry – one of my favourite fruits. As children, on visits to our grandparents, in order to avoid the tedious grown-up chit-chat, my sisters and I would often hide away in Grandpa’s strawberry patch, only to be discovered hours later redder than red and bellies filled to the brim with these delicious fruits.

One of my cherished childhood memories involves spending many glorious afternoons during the summer holidays out strawberry picking at the local ‘pick your own’. Although, unfortunately to Mum’s embarrassment, we would always return for ‘weigh in’ with near to empty boxes and expressing satisfied looks on our once again redder than red faces. At the time me managed to get away with it, the grower thought our ‘innocent’ beaming smiles were adorable. However, now in my 20’s, I have recently found this to no longer be the case, let alone pull off quite so easily.

My recipe this month, for me, represents the taste of summer. An elegant showstopper dessert at an alfresco themed dinner party or an act of pure indulgence following a sumptuous barbecue with family and friends, this vibrant centrepiece will always go down a treat.

Cook’s note ~ Support local by sourcing your strawberries from your local ‘pick your own’ – it’s a great afternoon out for family and friends!

Strawberry & Elderflower Cheesecake

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the base

300g digestive biscuits

100g unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

300g full-fat soft cheese

300ml double cream

100g golden caster sugar

300g strawberries (extra for decoration), stalks removed

3 sheets of gelatine

4tbsp elderflower cordial

25cm/10inch cake tin with removable bottom

Method

To make the base…

Put the biscuits into a sealed plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin to achieve a breadcrumb consistency. Tip them into a bowl and stir in the melted butter so all the crumbs are coated. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and press down using the back of a spoon to produce an even surface. Chill the base in the fridge for an hour to firm up whilst you make the filling.

To make the filling…

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to allow them to soften. Pour half of the cream into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine leaves, one at a time, shaking off any excess water beforehand. Stir until all the gelatine has dissolved and set to one side to cool.

Combine the cream cheese and sugar together in a bowl and beat until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency. Chop the strawberries into chunky pieces and stir them into the cream cheese mixture along with the cream and gelatine.

In a separate bowl, gently whip together the remaining cream with the elderflower cordial to form soft peaks. Gently fold this into the strawberry mixture. Pour the filling into the cake tin and smooth over the surface to create a clean, even finish. Return the cake tin to the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours, or alternatively, make the day before and chill overnight.

To serve…

Dip a knife into water and run it around the edge, between the tin and the cheesecake to loosen it. Remove it from the tin and gently remove the base using either a palette knife or a cake slice. Place on a serving plate and decorate with strawberries. Serve with a strawberry coulis and cream, accompanied with an iced cold elderflower pressé.

Cook’s tipple ~ ‘Summer Loving’: William Chase Elegant Gin with Fevertree Elderflower Tonic, served with frozen blackberries/raspberries and fresh mint.