Here are 2 summer recipes that M&S asked us to review.  Featuring fresh berries they are both quick and simple to assemble. The salad in particular is exceptionally good and a great way to use up the glut of fat berries in my fruit bed.

 Raspberry, melon and feta salad with mint and lime dressing

This salad makes the perfect starter for a summer dinner or as a light lunch. Using ready prepared melon saves a huge amount of prep time and by using a mixed pack you get added variety and stunning colours. The beauty of this really lies in its simplicity and it looks beautiful too. A dressing of lime juice and honey coats the fruit and a large bunch of fresh mint adds a refreshing tang. Tossed together with some crumbled feta the saltiness of the cheese gives a savoury kick from a dish that could otherwise be a dessert. Last time I made this I added blueberries and a freshly picked sliced cucumber too which we all loved.

Verdict: A fanstastic summer salad which lends itself to adaptations – try different berries, herbs and cheese.

Download the original recipe for  Raspberry feta salad

Blueberry and lemon meringue semi-freddo 

Apart from whipping the cream this is a super easy dessert to make – and as you freeze it its perfect to make ahead of time. It’s presented as a semi freddo style dessert which means taking it out of the freezer 30 minutes before eating. I would normally do this just after serving the main course unless you don’t mind a longer break between courses. Although we loved the flavour of this dessert and the half frozen texture of the blueberries it was very rich. I would make this again but probably use half fat creme fraiche mixed with some thick fat free Greek style yoghurt. You could also get away with using less lemon curd as you already have the sweetness of the meringue and doubling up the fruit would also work. Another plus here is format, the original recipe uses a loaf tin but I used a loose bottomed cake tin. You can also use individual dishes providing they are suitable for the freezer.

Verdict: Very rich and calorific but with a few sensible tweaks to the ingredients a great recipe to have in your repertoire.

Download the original recipe for blueberry and lemon meringue semi-freddo