Hedgerow and apple salad

Serves 4

Hedgerow and apple salad (Jason Lowe)

A fruit salad is always a great way to end a meal and much easier than dishing up your guests a fancy dessert that may not turn out quite as it looks in the recipe book. You can use a selection of whatever dark berries are available and even use some elderberries.

500-600g dark berries like blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, elderberries
50g sugar
200ml apple juice
2 crisp dessert apples

Put 50g of the berries in a saucepan with the sugar and the apple juice. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, then strain through a fine-meshed sieve, lightly pushing some of the berries through with the back of a spoon to give the sauce a bit of texture.

Leave to cool. Stand the apple on its end and with a sharp knife, cut thin slices towards and around the core; then cut the slices into thin batons.

To serve, mix the berries together with the apple and arrange on individual plates or a single serving bowl and pour the sauce over.