Well to cheer us all up and take our minds off the ever increasing petrol pump prices again, June is the season to eat like the Gods! The first of the British Fruits is reaching our shops. Lucious Strawberries with that unbeatable British flavour, Asparagus as in my previous blog  quick and easy Asparagus recipes can still be found. With the first crop of new potatoes, peas and broad beans and of course salad crops too. I have started picking mine straight from out the garden you cannot beat that fresh from the garden taste & of course, the great cost - as its FREE. 

Its best to eat in season, as seasonal produce is fresher and higher in nutrients, with less food miles and its kinder on your purse strings too. So just take a look at whats about as great seasonal foods for June to enjoy are:

Fruit: blackberries (early), cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb (outdoor), strawberries, tayberries. Imported figs.Vegetables: asparagus, baby carrots, broad beans, broccoli, chervil, chives, courgettes and flowers, cucumbers, fennel, globe artichokes, green beans, horseradish, lettuce, mangetout, new potatoes, peas, peppers, radishes, rocket and other salad leaves, samphire, spinach, sorrel, spring onions, tomatoes, watercress. Imported aubergines.Fish & shellfish: black bream, brown and rainbow trout, brown shrimp, cuttlefish, first fresh kippers (run until Oct), grey mullet, haddock, hake, john dory, lobster, pollack, prawns, sardines, sea bass, sea trout, signal crayfish, spider crab, whitebait, wild salmon. Don’t bother with oysters, mackerel, mussels, scallops and flatfish - they’re all spawning. Meat: hogget lamb, Welsh lamb.

So with the start of wimbledon days away now and great racing at Ascot lets find you a tantalising dish to serve made with the one and only strawberry. Strawberries are low in fat and calories and strawberries are naturally high in fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants.

With fathers day upon us here is one of my dads own favourites, a yummy Strawberry Fudge Cheesecake:

You will need:75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing, 250g HobNobs biscuits (or homemade oat biscuits), 250g strawberry or vanilla fudge, 300g mascarpone, 400ml double cream, softly whipped, 250g British Local strawberries, quartered and 2 tsp icing sugar to decorate.

Start by lightly buttering a 23cm springform cake tin. Pulse the biscuits to crumbs in your food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined and clumped together. Tip into the base of the tin and press down evenly, then chill. Put 200g of the fudge in a large bowl and melt in a microwave for 1 minute on High, until it forms a soft paste (or alternatively you could melt in a pan over a very low heat). Cool slightly, then beat in the mascarpone in a bowl with a wooden spoon, until soft, add to the melted fudge and mix until all combined and then gently fold in the whipped cream. Chop the remaining fudge into small chunks and stir into the filling. Spoon this over the chilled biscuit base, smoothing the top. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight – the fudge will set the cheesecake. Put your strawberries in a bowl and toss with the icing sugar. Set aside to macerate for 20 minutes. Once the cheesecake is set, run a knife all around to loosen and remove the springform collar. Slide onto a serving plate and spoon over the strawberries to serve. If your feeling really indulgant serve with champagne or a good chilled sparkling wine for something just that bit special.

This is a great recipe to do and take with you to one of these great outdoor concert events up and down the country, no matter what the weather we British can always enjoy good food and a party!!!

Why not tell me about your favourite strawberry recipe? Also check out other food processor recipes like on my previous blog chocolate profiteroles with chantilly cream made with your mixer.