This year has so far been a top year for berries. My strawberries have produced a bumper crop of delicious deep red fruit. However…just as they were 1 or 2 days away from perfection, something began to ‘nibble’ them. And after a close inspection I found a mouse hole, right in the middle of the strawberry patch! A great home indeed! Lovely warm straw, and plenty of fresh berries on the door step, well I couldn’t blame them really! But, I wasn’t going to leave the remaining crop to the greedy mouse, so I picked every ripe berry and had enough to have with meringues and make a summer cordial too. Paired with my last remaining rhubarb, this is summer preserved in a bottle. _____________________________________ Makes 1.5 litres 300g  strawberries,  roughly chopped 3 sticks of rhubarb, washed and chopped 300g caster sugar 2 lemons, juice and zest of 1 liter water _______________________________________ Tip the fruit into a heavy-based pan alongside the lemon zest and pour over the sugar. Simmer over low heat  for 10 minutes …