Recipe: Fruit minestrone

I came across this in a restaurant in Provence (only the French could create a fruit minestrone) and thought it good enough to pass on. You need a mixture of seasonal fruits: strawberries, raspberries, apricots, nectarines and peaches, for choice (however, under no circumstances, bananas) 10oz sugar Lemon zest Dissolve the sugar in 1 pint of water with the lemon zest, bring it to the boil and reduce for about 10 minutes until it becomes a light syrup. Cut all the fruit into tiny dice, no more than a centimetre square. Add these to the cooled syrup, and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavours mix. It should look almost like a proper minestrone. If you like, you can add a piece of fresh ginger to boil with the syrup (remove it before adding the fruit) or add a fruit juice, such as pomegranate, for extra flavour. Sprinkle with whole small mint leaves just before serving to decorate and add a lovely freshness.