Nothing tastes quite like summer than fresh delicious ripe red juicy strawberries. I am not talking about the bland versions that have been flown in from halfway across the world to be on your table at Christmas ? if you closed your eyes and had to guess what you were eating, chances are you would not. I am talking about gorgeous Irish strawberries. I love it when you see the first of the handpainted signs on the side of the road advertising local strawberries; and now is the time to make the most of them.

Eaten whole, served with cream and a sprinkling of sugar; whizzed up with a bit of sugar and lemon juice (to make a strawberry coulis) and poured over ice-cream; made into a delicious cheesecake to serve lots of people for a bit of alfresco entertaining; blended with some vodka, lime juice and sugar syrup for a fab and potent summery tasting cocktail, or fed to you by your lover in the bath, strawberries are a very welcome treat after the long winter.

Summer Strawberry Cheesecake With Strawberry Coulis

This is a gorgeous summery dessert, great to double up for serving lots of people, and it and the strawberry coulis (sauce) can both be made and placed in the fridge a day in advance. Use raspberries in place of the strawberries if you wish.

Serves 6-8

For the base

175g / 6oz digestive biscuits

75g / 3oz butter, melted

For the filling

3 sheets of leaf gelatine (see note below if using powdered gelatine)

300ml / half pint cream

300g / 10oz soft cream cheese, such as Philadelphia

110g / 4oz caster sugar

finely grated zest of half a lemon

juice of half a large lemon

300g / 10oz strawberries, hulled and chopped about half cm dice

1 egg white

For the strawberry coulis

250g / 9oz strawberries, hulled

2 tbsp caster sugar

Juice of half a large lemon

To serve

250g / 9oz small strawberries, left whole ? optional

A few mint leaves

Crush the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs by placing them in a plastic bag and bashing with a rolling pin, or in a food processor. Tip into a bowl and mix in the melted butter. Place the mixture into a loose-bottomed (like a spring form) 24cm/9½ inch round cake tin, at least 5cm deep, and press down with the back of a spoon to cover the bottom of the tin evenly. Place the tin in the fridge while you make the filling.

Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for five minutes, until softened. Pour half of the cream into a small saucepan and bring just to the boil, then take off the heat. Take the gelatine out of the water and stir into the cream to dissolve gelatine. Set aside and leave to cool for a few minutes while you carry on with the rest of the cheesecake.

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the cream and gelatine mixture until smooth, then stir in the chopped strawberries.

In another bowl, lightly whip the remaining cream until holding soft peaks , then fold it into the cheesecake mixture. Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until just stiff then fold gently into the cheesecake mixture also. Pour into the cake tin and smooth down lightly with the back of a spoon. Cover with a plate or a sheet of cling film (not touching the cheesecake) and place in the fridge for at least three hours, until set, or overnight.

To make the strawberry coulis, whiz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if necessary then push the coulis through a sieve. Pour into a serving jug or bowl and keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

To serve, run the blade of a knife that has been dipped in boiling water for a few seconds around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the tin, remove the sides, then slide it off its base and place it on a serving plate. If you wish, pile some extra small strawberries on top of the cheesecake with a few mint leaves to decorate the cheesecake. Serve with the strawberry coulis.

NOTE ON USING POWDERED GELATINE:

Place 3 tsp of gelatine in a small saucepan with just 3 tbsp water. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes for the water to soak up the gelatine, then add half the cream and bring just to the boil (as in the recipe above). As the cream comes to the boil the gelatine will dissolve. Carry on as above.

Strawberry Tiramisu

Serves 10-12 / Vegetarian

150ml / 5fl oz water

200g / 7oz caster sugar

400g / 14oz strawberries

50ml / 2 fl oz crème de cassis or crème de framboise

4 eggs, separated

250g / 9oz tub mascarpone cheese

1 x 200g / 7oz packet boudoir biscuits (sponge biscuits)

50g / 2oz flaked or slivered almonds

Make syrup by dissolving half the sugar in the water, then boiling for 2 minutes. Add in the strawberries. If using fresh strawberries, turn off the heat and leave it to cool. If using frozen fruit, bring the syrup back to the boil and let it simmer very gently for 1-2 minutes, then leave to cool. Add the cassis or framboise to the syrup.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with the remaining sugar until pale and thick. Beat in the mascarpone cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold them lightly into the egg and mascarpone mixture.

Strain the fruit from the syrup. Place the syrup in a wide bowl. Dip half the biscuits in the cooled syrup and use them to line the base of a 28cm (11in) gratin dish. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over, followed by half the fruit. Cover the strawberries with another layer of the biscuits dipped in the liquid. Spread over the remainder of the fruit, followed by the remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover and chill for a minimum of 6 hours, or ideally overnight, to allow the biscuits to absorb the juices and soften.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds by heating a dry frying pan, tossing in the nuts and frying for 2-3 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool. Use to sprinkle over the tiramisu just prior to serving.

20 Second Strawberry Ice-Cream

This ice-cream is so quick and easy to make. The only down side is that it doesn't re-freeze once made. Freeze the whole strawberries on a baking tray so that you have separate frozen fruits, rather than a solid block of them.

Serves 6-8

400g / 14oz whole strawberries, hulled, halved and frozen

1 tsp vanilla extract

25-50g / 1-2 oz caster sugar

150ml / 5fl.oz buttermilk

Tip the frozen strawberry pieces into a food processor. Add the vanilla extract, sugar and half the buttermilk.

Turn on the processor and let it run for a few moments. Then, while it is still running, pour in the remaining buttermilk in a thin, steady stream. Let the machine run until the mixture is beautifully smooth and creamy. Don't over mix as this will cause the ice cream to defrost.

Serve straight away on its own or with some mixed fresh berries.