The snobberies of “fein dining” anyone? Cool strawberry sorbet delicately embroidered with chilli?  Well hardly, she’s just a cheeky little strawberry sorbet, though pert and perky, with a pop of fireworks.  M’lady remains a portrait of serene beauty, sweet, of a firm curvaceous figure. Though ruddy complexion, from pale and insignificant she becomes very red-faced, a little seedy on the outside with a rather hairy chin, whist sporting a rather risqué green hat, she remains highly popular at sporting events at this time of year.

 

  

  

  

 

A quintessential part of a (currently soggy) luxurious golden English summer. Her melange of sweet and sharp tintilates the taste buds with nefarious flare. Courting said taste buds, she remains plumptous and occasionally a little tart! The sullen beauty sweetly prevalent now has the yearning  to be come a vamp, a red lipstick lady in red who can be hot stuff too? Wanten, brazen, she decides it’s time for an amorous fusion.

 

  

 

Whilst chit chatting and passing the time of day, with head of security, yes the main ‘security guard‘ at a local, highly rural, strawberry farm. We discussed the incredulity of 4 greedy, blaguard mums who had taken it upon themselves and their collective 15 children, who like locusts, had cleared the growing stock (and livelihood) of the farmers the previous weekend.

 

  

 

“OK you lot let’s scarper” had said a charming Mater, a heretic of hereditary hierarchy.

Sadly it remains prevalent that a few can spoil so much for so many. Lessons learned by Peter Rabbit helping himself from Mr McGregor’s garden. Not to mention the timeless chortling echoes from a bit of childish apple scrumping? A 21st Century spoiler; and a contemptible and unprincipled thing to ‘teach’ a child. Grrr-ripe over.

 

  

 

Once home, my garden wanderings are accompanied by Marlene and Delores (not their real names) skirting my heels.  Their shaggy tails brush past jasmine, thyme, sage and rosemary and the fragrance fills the air. En route we pass the blowsy, whisperingly translucent roses in Provençal pinks, and blushed apricots.  Baying for summer warmth, the washed out flowers, now in faded ballet pump pink, still inspire through the superbly scented path through this stretch of the garden. The summer-house is self wrapped in flourishing raspberry canes as I “scrump to self”. Hence, I remain unflinching in my reserve to enjoy summer, small pockets are still available, albeit in the style of Enid Blyton, thick cardi notwithstanding.

 

  

 

Oh by the way, Delores and Marlene are a couple of long-haired, sister moggies of unrivalled prowess, resembling a couple of out of work actresses from the 1940’s in their musty mottled fur coats, faded elbow length velvet gloves, it’s likely that they have a penchant for a drop of pink gin.

 

  

 

Once again and back in the room of the real world. This sorbet is wonderfully simplistic in endeavour but whacks a punch of sophisticated flavour that will melt your heart and mind.  Quality ingredients if you can, and apologies for my bias but English strawberries, particularly on a warm summers day if picked by ones own fair hand, (whist in their prime if not your own) would be my indulgent preference. Soggy, sad, lacklustre, supermarket, out of season numbers will not cut the mustard though can be mightily cheered by a couple of dessert spoons of  strawberry preserve.

 

  

 

For the can’t haves, won’t haves, prefer not to haves, let alone the, ‘this makes me really ill’, the really, really mustn’t haves…. A simple sorbet can be frozen, blitzed, topless strawberries. Whence the goop is pour into ice-cube bags or trays, left to freeze and whizzed in a processor to make a granita-esqe sorbet, delish.  Indeed whole fruit with a soupçon of chilli frozen and whizzed works too.

 

  

 

For a Strawberry silly chilli vodka whizzy ( I know, I know, it took me hours to come up with the name too) add a twist of fresh chilli and slug of vodka into the last whizz up. Popular with the you-ff-zz, or youths (code for under 95’s)  as they are more popularly known in these parts.

 

  

 

This one is for the plaudits of plates of glimmering yet utterly counterintuitive nosebag. Contrarily a tantalising surprise pallet cleanser.  Served with a teaspoon of goat curd mouse on the spoon, a rye bread croute,the sorbet delivered in a shot glass with a balsamic burst and hefty garnish. A pre-dessert, canapé or palette cleanser.

 

 

 

Featherlight fruity and perky, its a genius of concealment but not of demonic proportion please. Do taste the chilli before you include it or maybe a tiny part of it. The one in ten rule applies, so to taste is the only way to know if it’s the mighty ‘blow your drawers off’ seriously hot critter.

 

  

Strawberry with a bit more of a heavy petal vibe for me this year with this cool, hot stuff?

I believe summer to be served?

x

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