Recipe: Summer fruit salad in lemongrass syrup

Serves 8-10

Sat, 15 Jul, 2006 - 01:00

Darina Allen is co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School and more recently the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School in Shanagarry, East Cork.

4oz (110 g) raspberries

4oz (110g) loganberries

4oz (110g) red currants

4oz (110g) black currants

4oz (110g) small strawberries

4oz (110g) blueberries

4oz (110g) fraises du bois or wild strawberries

4oz (110g) blackberries

Syrup:

14 oz (400g) sugar

16 fl oz (450ml) water

2 stalks of fresh lemongrass chopped or grated

rind of two unwaxed lemons.

Put all the freshly picked berries into a white china or glass bowl. Put the sugar, water and lemongrass into a stainless steel saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for just two minutes. Cool for 4-5 minutes then pour the hot syrup over the fruit and allow to macerate for several hours.

Remove the lemongrass. Serve chilled, with softly-whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream or alone.