The fruits of summer

If you're like me and have often been tempted to make summer pudding, but have never got round to it, take the plunge. It's incredibly easy to make and the results are very rewarding for little effort.

I struck it lucky when I was shopping for bread. At a bakery at the South Melbourne Market I found a loaf of bread that had been sliced lengthwise which made the preparatory work very easy.

You will need a bowl with a capacity of around 1.5 litres. I used one of my trusty ancient Pyrex mixing bowls. Line it with plastic wrap and there will be no drama when it's time to turn out your masterpiece.

I used some of the new POM Wonderful® pomegranate juice when making mine, but you can use water.

Summer pudding

Stale white bread, crusts removed
2 punnets each raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries
100g cherries, pitted
50g castor sugar
125ml water or pomegranate juice

Reserve a few berries to decorate the finished pudding.

Hull and slice the strawberries. Place in a frypan with the other berries and cherries, sprinkle with castor sugar and add the water or pomegranate juice. Simmer for about three minutes to release the juices, stirring gently once or twice. Place a sieve over a bowl and tip the fruit in. Allow to drain for 10 minutes, keeping the juice.

Meanwhile line a 1.5 litre capacity bowl with plastic wrap. Cut a circle out of the bread to fit the bottom of the bowl. Cut slightly tapered shapes to line the bowl and triangles for the top.

Dip one side of the bottom circle of bread quickly into the juice and place, juice side down, into the bowl.

Do the same with the bread for the sides, dipping them in the juice then overlapping them by a couple of centimetres.

Spoon in the fruit.

Arrange the triangles of bread on top, again overlapping the pieces. Because I had long slices of bread, I just cut semi-circles.

Gently pour over the remaining juices. Cover the top with more plastic wrap and then place the bowl in a shallow dish to catch any juices. Choose a flat plate that fits the top of the bowl. Place it on top and weigh down with something heavy. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

To serve, collect any juices. Remove the plastic from the top and turn the pudding out onto a serving plate. Pour over any remaining juice. Decorate with the reserved fruit and serve with sweetened whipped cream.