Summer Pudding

Use any combination of berries you have on hand, such as raspberries and red currants.

1 1/2 pounds combined blueberries and strawberries
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 or more slices white bread, with crusts trimmed
Whipped cream flavored with vanilla extract

Remove stems and pick over berries, cutting the strawberries in half. Combine fruit with the lemon peel and sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Watch so that the mixture does not boil over.

Cut each slice of bread into 3 strips and line the bottom and sides of a 4-cup souffl? dish, patching with pieces of bread if necessary. Strain the fruit pulp, reserving the juice. Pour several tablespoons of the juice over the bottom slices of bread and let it set for a few minutes.

Fill the souffl? dish almost to the top with fruit pulp, then pour in enough juice to moisten. Cover top with a layer of bread and dampen this with a little juice, too. Put a small plate, which just fits inside the dish on top and wrap the entire thing in plastic wrap. Set on a plate in the refrigerator with a weight on top. Leave for 24 hours.

To serve, run a knife around the edges and invert the dish onto a serving platter, being careful not to spill the accumulated juice. If juice has not stained all the bread through, you may do so with the reserved juice.

Serve with whipped cream and reserved juice.

Serves 4 to 6.