M&S are celebrating a Summer of flavour. They will be offering up tastes you know and love but with a twists and some new food discoveries. So whether you’re having a picnic in the park or a barbecue in the back garden they have got some lovely ideas for creating sunny meals and snacks.

Marks & Spencer in St David's supplied me with some tasty seasonal treats to try out including a home made blueberry frozen dessert and turkey skewers but the first one I tried was Strawberries with a balsamic glaze. Strawberries traditionally have a  short, six-week season, from early June until mid-August, coinciding with the brief, long-awaited British summer. Strawberries have long been a key ingredient in classic British summer foods such as Eton Mess, summer pudding, or strawberries and cream. This simple recipe has an unusual twist...

Balsamic vinegar and black pepper intensify the flavor of strawberries and bring out their sweetness, I was a little sceptical about this combination at first but I'm a total convert.

Ingredients
* 250g Jubiliee strawberries, hulled
* 2 tbsp caster sugar
* 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
* A generous grind or large pinch of coarse black pepper
* Mascarpone cream, for serving


1. Strawberries need to be halved and then sprinkled with caster sugar and balsamic and allowed to steep in own juices for 30 minutes or so.
2. When all nice and juicy – sugar dissolved, add a grinding of coarse black pepper over the berries and then an additional drizzle using the Balsamic glaze.



These berries are great with both sweet and savory dishes. Try them in a salad paired with rocket, goats cheese or maybe even avocado. Even if we have a summer filled with rain you can still enjoy some delicious food like this tasty strawberry dish.