Bought a big punnet of blackcurrants at a knock down price at the supermarket this morning. Was delighted until I got them home and remembered why these gorgeous berries, like teeny darkest purple pearls, are so woefully underused. They are hell to top and tail!

Hours later, they were done so I warmed them with some slightly past their best blueberries and the last of the raspberries, red gooseberries and wild strawberries from the garden, and piled them into a bread lined bowl. I never had the delights of summer pudding as a child, because as my mum said, who would want to eat a pile of stewed fruit and soggy bread, but I now absolutely love it. The pud is sitting in the fridge; the ruby juice already beginning to stain the bread in patches, like blood on snow.

Was lacking inspiration for dinner, so turned to Sophie Dahl’s book entitled “Voluptuous Delights” (I admit I bought this because I loved the title, enjoy Ms Dahl’s whimsical writing style and thought she might have some secret recipe for stuffing your face whilst staying enviable thin and beautiful…alas, no secret recipe but many very, very good recipes for simple, seasonal breakfasts, lunches and dinners) and decided on linguine with crab, lemon, chilli and tomatoes. Light and summery unlike the grey drizzle outside. Sadly, the summer pudding won’t be ready for this evening, but we all need something to look forward to at the beginning of the working week.