Tian of summer berries

Make up a coulis from surplus strawberries and raspberries, but for the sake of the colour leave out the black currants. Process the berries and sugar and then strain through a fine sieve. Using a pastry cutter make three circles of bread from each slice, and soak in half the coulis. Place one circle in the bottom of the ring, dice the strawberries and load the bottom ring. Add another coulis soaked slice, then lay on the blackcurrants, then the final slice. Press down gently to compress. Now carefully remove the ring and just before serving add the raspberries. Crown with a sprig of mint, dust with icing sugar and serve with a generous quenelle of crème fraiche, a flourish of the remaining coulis, and maybe a Madeleine.

Tips from South Farm:

• The only challenge is finding the freshest berries available. Soggy shop-bought berries won’t do; grow them yourself to savour the difference.
• It’s a question of balancing the textures, flavours and fragrance of the three candidate berries you care to choose. Here we’ve suggested adding raspberries last, placing strawberries on the bottom, and for a change of gear, putting black currants in the middle.

This recipe comes courtesy of Philip Paxman at South Farm, a beautiful new venue for weddings and corporate events in Cambridgeshire.