NOTHING tastes quite like summer than a bowl of fresh fruit – and nothing tastes better than a bowl of freshly-picked fruit that has come from a Worcestershire farmers’ market.

Head down to your nearest market and you will see plenty of stalls piled high with delicious summer berries. At the moment, you can pick up strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants.

We always talk about how much better food tastes if it has been grown locally – and nothing exemplifies this better than strawberries. If you were to taste some fresh Worcestershire strawberries and a box of those grown on the other side of the world, you would certainly notice the difference.

Raspberries and strawberries are perfect for picnics or just popping in your mouth as you watch the action from Wimbledon, but, if you want to be a little more adventurous, try making the following dessert.

And, of course, you must buy your free range eggs from your local farmers’ market stall.

Recipe: Pavlova

Ingredients

4-6 egg whites
A pinch of salt
8oz castor sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 level teaspoons cornflour
Lots of berries

Method

Preheat oven to 400F (200C), gas mark six. Lightly grease oven tray and line with baking paper.

Beat the whites of eggs with a pinch of salt until stiff. Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until of thick consistency.

Lightly fold in the cornflour. Pile mixture into circular shape, making it hollow in the centre for filling.

Electric oven: turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake undisturbed for one-and-a-half hours. Gas oven: bake at 400F (200C)/gas mark six for 10 minutes, then turn oven to 250F (130C)/gas mark one and bake a further hour.

Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cool. Top with whipped cream and decorate with your farmers’ market berries.

Today’s farmers’ market is in St Peter’s Garden Centre, near Worcester, from 9.30am to 2pm.

There is an extra market at Little Heath aquatics and garden centre, Bromsgrove, from 10am to 2pm tomorrow. Next week’s markets are in Victoria Square, Droitwich, on Saturday, July 4, from 9am to 2pm, and at Royal Worcester Porcelain, on Sunday, July 5, from 10am to 2pm. For more information, visit wfmg.co.uk.