There should be a bylaw that makes it illegal to eat a strawberry at any time other than summer. Only now do strawberries fulfil their destiny, when they are allowed to reach their natural, voluptuous state of ripeness. But it’s the smell that brings you undone. No wonder the Romans called them fraga, for their fragrance.

Great strawberries are worth seeking out at farmers’ markets and strawberry-friendly supermarkets such as Waitrose, which stocks the stalwart ‘Elsanta’, the darker red ‘Everest’ and ‘Evie’, and the truly, madly, deeply crimson organic ‘Florence’. David Demes, of Chegworth Valley Apple Juice, sells baskets of beautiful berries at various farmers’ markets, from Notting Hill to Borough (London Farmers Markets: 020-7704 9659, www.lfm.org.uk).

When you find great strawberries, eat them raw, ungarnished and unsauced. Only when you’ve had your fill should you feel the need to do something with them. If in doubt, macerate with sugar, a little berry liqueur or cognac and a grind of black pepper, and leave for an hour or two. Or gently heat them with a little sugar and port until they drop their juices, cool and serve with tangy Greek yoghurt.

Strawbs are at their peak right now, so shop around for the best, seediest, most perfumed strawberries you can find. To store, keep in the refrigerator in an uncovered bowl lined with paper towel. Or better still, don’t store them at all.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 10 mins.

It’s a mistake to think of strawberries solely as a “sweet” fruit for dessert, when in fact their bright freshness can play off salty and savoury tastes with ease. Here, the sweet-sourness of balsamic vinegar links them to prosciutto and summer leaves. Serve two slices of prosciutto as a starter or three as a main course with crusty bread.

12 strawberries
100g fresh mozzarella
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
100g small salad leaves
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices prosciutto
2tbsp balsamic vinegar

Wash, dry and hull the strawberries, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut the mozzarella into small wedges and season with sea salt and pepper. Toss the leaves in a little extra-virgin olive oil and scatter on four dinner plates.

Casually arrange the prosciutto, mozzarella and strawberries on and around the leaves. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, or serve the vinegar in a small dipping bowl.

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