Inspiration

Makes enough for four

What you’ll need:

100g rhubarb
100g caster sugar
50ml water
Half a lemon, juiced
200ml soda water
100ml dry gin
A handful of ice
Fresh, unsprayed lavender, to garnish

What to do:

1. Start by making the rhubarb syrup. Cut the rhubarb into one centimetre pieces and add to a pan with the sugar, water and lemon juice. Cover with a lid and simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes, until the rhubarb is soft.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then push the rhubarb through a sieve using the back of a spoon, collecting the syrup in a bowl or jug.
3. Chill the syrup, then add 100ml to a large cocktail shaker along with the sparkling water and gin, and give it a good shake. (If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can add all the ingredients to a jug and stir well to combine.)
4. Add some ice to each of your glasses and top with the rhubarb fizz. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fragrant lavender.

Makes enough for six

What you’ll need:

For the pastry:

125g butter
250g plain flour (we used spelt)
A pinch of sea salt
50ml cold water

For the filling:

2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
6 eggs
250ml whole milk
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped chives
1 tsp chopped mint
250g asparagus spears, woody ends removed
200g goat’s cheese

What to do:

1. To make the pastry, combine the butter, flour and salt in a food mixer or by hand until the mixture resembled breadcrumbs. Add the cold water, a little at a time, to help the pastry bind into a smooth ball. You may only need a splash of the water, or may need the full 50ml, so go slowly.
2. Wrap the ball of pastry in a cheesecloth or clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for about half an hour.
3. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
4. Lightly grease a twenty-two centimetre/nine inch tart case with a little butter. Remove the pastry from the fridge and place on a floured surface, then roll out into a disc wide enough to fill your tart case and around half a centimetre thick.
5. Place the pastry disc into the tart case and gently press down (we don’t tend to trim the edges as we like the rustic look, but if you have lots of excess, now’s the time to cut it off), then cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake for fifteen minutes.
6. While the tart case is baking, prepare your filling by gently frying the shallots in the oil over a low–medium heat for around eight minutes or until soft and translucent.
7. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a small bowl, then add the salt, pepper, herbs and softened shallots, and whisk well to combine.
8. Remove the tart from the oven and fan the asparagus spears around the case, then pour the egg mixture over them. Dot the filled tart with blobs of goat’s cheese, then return to the oven for twenty-five to thirty minutes or until the filling is set.

You can serve the tart hot straight from the oven, or allow it to cool and serve at room temperature.

Makes enough for six

What you’ll need:

For the meringues:

6 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
A small pinch of sea salt
200g caster sugar

400g fresh strawberries
50g caster sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
500ml double cream
50ml rosewater
500ml vanilla custard (homemade or a good quality one from the shop)
Edible flowers, optional

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/120°C fan.
2. To make your meringues, whisk the egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl until they become pale and fluffy, then add the cream of tartar and the salt. The cream of tartar will help the meringues hold their shape. Gradually add the sugar, a very small amount at a time, while continuing to whisk until the mixture becomes glossy and firm.
3. Use a tablespoon to spoon blobs of the meringue mixture onto a lined baking sheet, leaving around two centimetres between each meringue. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake the meringues for an hour. Once cooked, remove and allow to cool slightly.
4. In the meantime, prepare the strawberries by hulling them and then cutting each in half. Transfer to a bowl with the sugar and balsamic vinegar and very lightly crush with the back of a fork. The idea is not to mash the strawberries, just to break them enough for their juices to become syrupy with the addition of the sugar and balsamic.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the double cream and the rosewater until stiff peaks form.
6. Now to bring everything together. In a large trifle bowl (or individual glasses if you prefer), spoon a layer of strawberries onto the bottom, then top with a layer of cold vanilla custard, a layer of whipped cream, and finally, a layer of lightly crushed meringues. Repeat this process twice over until you’ve used all the ingredients or your dish is full.
7. Decorate the top of your trifle with edible flowers and serve.