Strawberry purée

Most people would call this a coulis, but it's not a word I really like. Restaurants often use coulis for saucing desserts and tarting up plates with feather patterns and zig-zags - which has given it a pretentious reputation. But because, unlike jam, the fruit isn't cooked for a coulis, the taste is fresh and intense.

Make coulis with bargain trays of strawberries from markets or from the results of a pick-your-own expedition, if you end up with more than you can eat. The great advantage of a purée is that you can keep it frozen in small batches, sweetened as much or as little as you like, and then use it for fruit fools, mousses, ice creams and sorbets. Most fruit can be puréed. Just put in a blender, with or without sugar, and then store in the freezer in little yoghurt pots or plastic containers for six months or more. It's that simple - there's no need for a recipe.