Food ready to serve for Wimbledon fortnight

To help you avoid the pitfalls of bowls of mushy berries and jugs of too-sweet Pimm’s, BBC Good Food’s Jane Hornby has devised the perfect summer recipes to see you through the 2011 Wimbledon Championships.

During those long afternoons and evenings in front of the TV, Hornby suggests mixing Pimm’s with ice-cold mint and citrus tea to make a less sweet, but every bit as refreshing, alternative to Pimm’s and lemonade.

She also recommends making up strawberry-themed desserts that can be served straight from the freezer. Such tactics will leave you more time for watching Andy Murray and help to keep you cool during the tie-breaks.

Here are five of Hornby’s recipes to try.

CURED HAM AND REMOULADE TARTINES

Serves 6

1 large cucumber, 2 fennel bulbs, 175g good mayonnaise, 1tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ lemon, zest and juice, handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 1tbsp small capers, drained, 400g dark sourdough loaf, slice, extra virgin olive oil and a mix of cured ham and salami, to serve.

Peel and cut the cucumber in half lengthways, then scoop out seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Slice the flesh into thin half-moons. Toss with ¼ tsp salt and set aside for 30 min to draw out excess juice. Shred fennel thinly. Mix mayo, mustard, lemon zest and juice, parsley, capers and some pepper.

Pat cucumber dry, then mix with fennel and dressing. Can be made a few hours ahead, keep chilled.

Toast the bread either on a dry griddle pan or under the grill, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Let everyone build their own tartine, topping the bread with ham or salami and remoulade.

STRAWBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Serves 8-10

175g digestive biscuits, 75g butter, melted, 400g white chocolate, 400g strawberries, 300g tub full-fat soft cheese, 200ml double cream.

Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin to fine crumbs, add the melted butter and mix well. Tip the mix into a 20cm lined, loose-bottomed cake tin, smooth with the back of a spoon and put in the fridge for 30 min.

Melt 375g of the chocolate in a microwave or glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then allow to cool slightly. Take out six nice strawberries and set aside.

Blitz the remaining strawberries in a food processor until smooth, then add them to a bowl with the soft cheese and cream. Beat until really smooth and thick, then stir in the melted white chocolate. Pour on top of the biscuit base and smooth the top. Place in the fridge and chill overnight.

Halve the reserved strawberries and place on top of the cheesecake. Melt the remaining 25g of chocolate and drizzle over the top, then keep chilled until ready to serve.

DILL SCONES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CUCUMBER RELISH

Makes 7-8 scones

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting, 200g wholemeal plain flour, 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, 20g pack dill, half finely chopped, 50g unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes, 300ml milk, warmed, plus extra for brushing, 1tsp poppy seeds, 200g pack smoked salmon slices and 300g pack soft cheese, to serve. For the pickle: 1tbsp caster sugar, 100ml rice wine vinegar, 1 large cucumber, peeled, ½ red onion, very thinly sliced, 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

For the scones, heat oven to 230C/Gas 8 and lightly flour a baking sheet. Mix the flours, bicarb, chopped dill and 1 tsp fine salt in a large bowl, then rub in the butter until it disappears.

Tip in the milk and stir briefly to a sticky dough.Scrape the dough onto a floured surface, dust the dough and your hands with more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times to smooth a little.

Pat into a 4cm-deep round. Use a 7cm cutter to stamp out scones. Press trimmings together and repeat.

Brush with milk, scatter with poppy seeds, then bake for 15-18 min or until golden and well risen. Cool on a rack. As with all scones, these are best eaten on the day.

For the pickle, stir sugar into vinegar until dissolved. Halve and deseed the cucumber, slice thickly, then toss with the vinegar, onion and chilli. Leave for at least 15 min in the fridge. Can be made up to 24hr ahead. When ready to serve, tear remaining dill over the relish. Split scones, spread with soft cheese and top with a ribbon of salmon and a little relish.

Tip: For taller scones, dip the cutter into flour each time you use it. The flour will stop the cutter from sticking and squashing down the edges of the dough.

ETON MESS CAKE

Cuts in 15 pieces

175g unsalted butter, 5tbsp double cream from a 300ml pot, 1tsp vanilla paste or extract, 225g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, 1tsp baking powder, 200g golden caster sugar, 5 large eggs at room temperature, 400g strawberries – half roughly chopped, half finely sliced, 4 meringue nests (50g) very roughly broken up, a little icing sugar, to serve

Grease a deep, 20 x 30cm roasting tin, then line with parchment. Heat oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.

Melt the butter, take off the heat and stir in the cream and the vanilla. Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder and ¼ tsp fine salt and set aside for later.

Put the caster sugar and eggs into a large bowl, and whisk with electric beaters until very thick and foamy, about 5 min.

Pour in the butter mix, whisk briefly, then add the flour mix and whisk briefly again until even.

Stir in the chopped strawberries, then pour the batter into the tin and level the top.

Scatter the sliced strawberries and meringue over the cake, then bake for 40-45 min until risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 20 min in the tin, then transfer the cake to a rack.

Just before serving, dust with a little icing sugar. Enjoy with the rest of the double cream, whipped if you like.

* Recipes from bbcgoodfood.com