Hedgerow Summer Pudding

 A deep berry summer pudding scented with sweet cicely, bay, rose geranium and meadowsweet—four herbs at their best in July.

Ingredients

350 g raspberries
250 g redcurrants, stripped from stalks
150 g blackcurrants, stripped from stalks
100 g strawberries, hulled and halved, optional
75–100 g caster sugar, to taste
1 small sprig sweet cicely, 4 or 5 leaves
1 fresh bay leaf
1 scented rose geranium leaf
A few fresh meadowsweet flower heads, for serving
8–10 slices slightly stale white sandwich bread, crusts removed
3 tablespoons water
Clotted cream or cold double cream, to serve

Method

Put the redcurrants, blackcurrants and sugar in a wide saucepan with 3 tablespoons water. Add the sweet cicely and bay. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the fruit releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberries and strawberries, stir once and remove from the heat. Cool for 20 minutes, then discard the sweet cicely and bay. Lay the rose geranium leaf in the base of a pudding basin. Cut bread to fit the base and line the sides with overlapping bread fingers, reserving two slices for the top. Spoon in the fruit and most of its juice. Cover with the reserved bread, press with a small plate and weight with heavy tins. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, loosen with a palette knife, invert onto a plate and scatter with meadowsweet. Serve with clotted or cold double cream.

Storage

Refrigerate overnight and keep chilled until serving.

Foraging & Safety Notes

If you cannot find sweet cicely, use tarragon, lemon balm or unwaxed lemon peel. Rose geranium may be replaced with lemon verbena or rosewater; meadowsweet with elderflower or lemon balm. Be certain of all plant identifications and gather only from clean, unsprayed places.