EARLY SUMMER HARVEST

Strawberries have ripened earlier in the season in recent years. You’ll see juicy English strawberries hitting the shelves in May and, if you’re lucky, growing on your veg patch. When ripe and ready to eat, strawberries should not have a green hue, they should be plump and juicy and taste slightly sweet and floral. I’ve baked mine into a warm sponge pudding with almonds and polenta for bite (p95). It has all the flavours of a Victoria sponge but with the texture of a robust cornbread. If you don’t like cooked strawberries, try tossing them in lemon juice, caster sugar and thyme (lemon thyme would be ideal) and leaving them to macerate for a few hours. These are