After the freakish hailstorms we experienced over the weekend, I think it's safe to say that summer has well and truly left us. That coupled by the fact that we are now in our warmer pyjamas of an evening and we had to turn the heating on this morning.

After I dropped the children off to school yesterday morning I began to hear stories of flash flooding and emergency evacuations from other parents. I soon realised that our measly leak was nothing but a mere trickle in contrast to some of the more ruinous stories. One school family with three young boys under six, have had to move out of there home indefinitely as their house has been severely damaged by the flash floods.

I must say it has not been the kindest of transitions, but rather an aggressive ripping away of what has been. Nevertheless, seeing that summer has all but departed from Melbourne, I thought I'd mark her passing with one of our favourite, yet simplest treats - fresh strawberries doused in rosewater served with some lemon ricotta cream.

We often have this for breakfast or as a mid afternoon snack or a light dessert in the evenings. Hence, the absence of plump, juicy strawberries are one of the things that Fussy truly laments about summers end - well that and the end of day light savings.


Rosewater Strawberries with Lemon Ricotta Cream

Ingredients

250g punnet of fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced

375g fresh ricotta

Zest of a lemon

½ cup of caster sugar

¼ cup of thick cream

A glug of rosewater



Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except the strawberries in a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.

2. Douse the strawberries in a little rosewater and then serve them with the lemon ricotta cream.





A Mediterranean Feast of the
Mythic Islands of Malta & Sicily

June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour

 
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure ( 111kb pdf)

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