Following on from the Tangy Duck Salad, I put together another of our summer favourites: Alcoholic Summer Fruit Salad. This is another really simple, but surprisingly impressive recipe. In the case of yesterday I did it to use the first of the blackberries from our garden.

Alcoholic Summer Fruit Salad

You can do this with almost any mix of summer fruits you like, but you’ll want three or four different fruits for best effect. Choose from nectarines, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, loganberries, gooseberries. (Avoid orange, apple, banana, melon, kiwi, grapes. This isn’t a cheap hotel!)

You’ll want one small nectarine or peach per person, and similar quantities of each other fruit you’re using. I guarantee this will disappear like snow in summer, so don’t worry about making too much – but if you do have any left over it goes well on your breakfast cereal.

Put the berries in a salad bowl – halve or quarter any large strawberries or gooseberries.
If using cherries, stone and halve them. Add to the berries.
Stone the peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cut them into bite-sized pieces; add to the berries.

Add a few mint leaves or some lavender leaves if you wish – yes lavender really does work OK!
Optionally sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of sugar.
Now add a small wine glass of liqueur of your choice. (Port works well, as do amaretto, peach schnapps, apricot brandy and cherry brandy – the choice is yours.)
Mix gently but well.

Lightly chill while you eat the preceding courses.
Serve plain, or with cream, and maybe a meringue nest.

(If you want a non-alcoholic version, use good fruit juice – apple or mango are good – instead of liqueur.)