It is the perfect time of year to have friends and family over to eat, laugh and relax outside. Here are two seasonal, fruity recipes to impress your guests. Emily Ashworth and Lucy Baxter report.
You may know John Whaite from his memorable stint on The Great British Bake Off.
He did, of course, wow judges and viewers each week with his impressive recipes and cheeky charm, but what you may not know is that John grew up on a 300-cow dairy farm in Lancashire.
After winning the show in 2012, which has become one of the nations most loved programmes, he has gone on to become a regular on our screens, winning the hearts of many with his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 and his weekly stint on Channel Fours Stephs Packed Lunch.
It was his upbringing that paved the way for his success and gave him a passion for food, a passion which has seen him produce numerous cookbooks.
He says: I loved feeding the cows as they are so affectionate, they just want to be near you. When you wake up at half-past five and it is cold and groggy, with the barn door banging in the wind, it was such a cosy place to be, with those beautiful animals who rely on you.
And that is what I like about farming, it teaches you responsibility.
He is keen to support the industry and honour his roots. And he wants people to think about what farmers do for this country, but not just in terms of food production.
He says: When you fly into Britain, all you see is beautiful patchwork fields and it is scary to think that one day that could be skyscrapers and housing estates. We need to preserve our countryside, because it is for everybody.
These two fruity recipes from John are the epitome of summer. They are fresh, suitably seasonal and the perfect way to end a meal al fresco. And are, of course, a great homage to how his cooking career began.
Simple strawberry tart
Ingredients
- 1 packet rich sweet shortcrust pastry
- 1 quantity creme patissiere
- 700g strawberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 6 tbsp apricot jam
For the creme patissiere
- 4 egg yolks
- 125g caster sugar
- 40g cornflour
- 500ml milk
- 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways, or 1 tsp vanilla paste
- l40g unsalted butter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180degC/ fan 160degC. Roll out the pastry to 4mm (in) thick, use it to line a 23cm (9in) loose-bottomed flan tin, then prick with a fork and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Place a baking sheet in the oven. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 12- 15 minutes.
- Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the creme patissiere:
- Whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is paler in colour. Whisk in the cornflour.
- Put the milk and vanilla in a pan and heat until it almost boils. Pour half into the bowl with the eggs, whisking.
- When the milk is well incorporated, pour it all back into the remaining milk in the pan and return to a medium-high heat, whisking until the mixture bubbles gently and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
- Remove from the heat, whisk for a further minute, then add the butter, stirring, until melted. Remove the vanilla pod, if used. Pour the creme patissiere into a bowl, allow to cool briefly, then cover with cling wrap and chill.
- Hull and halve the strawberries, place in a bowl with the sugar and mix so the fruit is coated. Set aside for the strawberries to go shiny.
- Fill the cold pastry case with the crme ptissire and then top with the strawberries.
- To make the glaze, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan then sieve it into a bowl. Using a pastry brush, paint the strawberry tops with apricot glaze and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Celebration tart
Ingredients
- 1 packet shortcrust pastry
For the filling:
- 300g white chocolate, roughly
chopped - 100ml single cream
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 5 large fresh mint leaves
For the topping:
- 600g raspberries, as fresh and firm as possible
- 5 tbsp raspberry jam, seedless
- 1 tbsp sweet white wine (or water)
- Small handful of tiny fresh mint leaves
- Icing sugar to dust
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200degC/ fan 180degC. Roll out the pastry and use to line a Swiss roll tin, pressing well into the corners and folding the excess over the edges. Prick the base and place into the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Line the pastry with baking paper or foil and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the beans and lining and return to the oven for a further 10- 15 minutes until golden brown.
- If the base puffs up, press it down while hot and return to the oven.
- Remove from the oven and use a serrated knife to saw off the excess pastry. Allow to cool completely while you make the filling.
- Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the cream in small saucepan over a high heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges, then pour it over the chocolate and leave to melt, undisturbed for about a minute.
- Whisk to a smooth ganache and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- When cool, stir in the mascarpone cream, along with the lemon zest and mint leaves.
- Scrape into the baked, cooled tart shell and smooth over. Line up the raspberries in neat rows, positioning them upside down like little cups.
- Beat the jam with the wine (or water) and put into a piping bag.
- Gently fill each raspberry hole with a blob of the jam, being careful not to dribble it over the tops.
- Finish with a scattering of fresh mint leaves and dusting of icing sugar.
