An abundance of these luscious, locally grown fruits is in all the markets this month. 
Gone are the watery Spanish varieties and in are different French varieties including Gariguette and Belle Bourbonnaise. 

The most highly prized, if you can find them, are the Reine des Vallées, an alpine strain of the highest order. Highly prized by chefs and used in their finest creations, I have yet to come across them.
So I just buy strawberries that look, smell and taste fabulous. Here are two recipes which hopefully will tickle your taste buds for either watching tennis or lolling on the beach before the hoards descend next month!
This recipe is neither a tart, pie or torte really and I struggled with a name, hence ‘pie’.  Whatever it may be called it is truly delicious and will have you craving a second slice quite quickly!




Strawberry, Cinnamon and Pink Pepper ‘Pie’

Serves 6 – 8    Pre-heat oven to 180c, gas 4


Ingredients
175g ground almonds
175g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour (farine a gateaux)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp pink peppercorns, crushed finely 
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
450g strawberries, hulled and sliced
Icing sugar for dusting
Greek yogurt
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp honey



*Line the base of a loose-bottomed 23cm cake tin with greaseproof            paper and butter the sides

 

*In a food processor, mix almonds, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, pink peppercorns, egg and egg yolk until the ingredients are evenly combined

 

*Spread half the mixture over the base of the tin. This is quite tricky as it’s quite a dry mix but stick with it as it’ll be worth it! Press it in with your hands as with a cheesecake base if it won’t spread.

 

*Lay the sliced strawberries on top. Add the remaining mixture and spread it as best you can over the strawberries. If a few poke through it’s fine

 

*Bake for 1 hour but check after 40 minutes. If it is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil. The ‘pie’ should be slightly risen and dark golden brown when cooked

 

*Cool in the tin slightly, then loosen the edges with a knife and remove from the tin. Place the pie on to a plate and dust with icing sugar. 

 

*Serve warm or cold, in wedges, with dollops of the Greek yogurt mixed with vanilla extract and honey