Serves: 6

This dessert from Harry Eastwood is ideal for outdoor entertaining when the weather is warm enough to linger at the lunch or dinner table. When shopping for the ingredients, you're looking for fruits that are ripe but firm. If they're too soft, they will lose their texture in the salad.

RECIPE ADAPTED FROM A SALAD FOR ALL SEASONS BY HARRY EASTWOOD (BANTAM PRESS, £20).

Ingredients

• 400g strawberries, hulled and rinsed
• ½ large cucumber, peeled and deseeded
• 2 English apples (such as Gala)
• 2 peaches
• ½ lemon
• 2 oranges
• ½ x 28g pack fresh mint, leaves only, roughly chopped
• FOR THE PIMM'S SYRUP
• 200ml Pimm’s
• 75g caster sugar

Method

1. To make the syrup, gently heat the Pimm’s with the sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then pop in the fridge until cold.
3. Meanwhile, halve or quarter the strawberries and transfer to a large bowl. Chop the cucumber into 1cm cubes and add to the bowl with the strawberries.
4. Core the apples, chop into cubes roughly the same size as the cucumber, then add to the bowl.
5. Stone and slice the peaches and add to the rest of the fruit. Squeeze the half lemon over the fruit and toss to combine.
6. Using a sharp or serrated knife, slice the peel away from the oranges, going from ‘north’ to ‘south’. Slice the segments out from the centre, add to the rest of the fruit and squeeze over any remaining juice.
7. Pour the Pimm’s syrup over the fruit and add the mint leaves. Serve at room temperature.