Red gooseberry and lemon balm cordial recipe

The garden has been a pleasure this summer and I, for once, have been good about watering. I’ve used lovage and sorrel for soup, tomatillos and jalapeños for salsa, and found remnants of last year’s potato sowings, tiny red and blue spuds, for baking. My courgette flowers have been eaten by a neighbouring cat, down to the stems, so there will be no crop, no courgettes this year. We have gooseberries but this being their first year in the garden, they haven’t fruited yet. Zia Mays, my gardening colleague, donated some red gooseberries from her allotment. What to do with them? A cordial, I thought, to relish their ruby colour. I’ve also got around to using the lemon balm growing near the outdoor bathtub. This herb will lift the syrupy drink. I served it as a cocktail for the Hens night supper club a couple of weeks back.