Summer is in full swing and the scent of elderflower has sweetened the hedgerows. Also hitting the shelves are Irish strawberries, ripening just in time for the peak of summer. As a chef, you quickly discover that while creativity is key, the real skill is letting Mother Nature dictate what goes on the plate. Nothing speaks truer than the phrase ‘what grows together, goes together’. Strawberries and elderflower are a floral match made in heaven and one we are going to focus on this week. Elderflower is a product of the elder tree, which grows rapidly across the country. In May and June it produces brilliant white flowers that have a flavour mix similar to honey, lychee and jasmine, with lots of citrus. It retains a savoury quality – unlike some of the other floral ingredients of the season, which tend to be more medicinal or akin to perfume in taste. In fact, some are more comparable to toilet bleach than anything you would want to eat, especially in the wrong hands. The best way to extract floral flavours in ingredients is with the addition of lemon juice or vinegar. For anyone who doesn’t have the time or energy to go picking flowers off hedgerows, you can pick up a bottle of elderflower cordial in most supermarkets, and all the hard work is done for you.Strawberries are a staple of the Irish summer. Thankfully, we still have a lovely climate for ripening fruit from June through to September, particularly on the east coast. Outside of this window we produce fruit the rest of the year in controlled environments under glass, particularly in north county Dublin.There are more than 600 varieties of strawberries. They spread via the shedding of their seeds – those tiny yellow dots on the skin of the fruit. In the restaurant, the most prized variety are the tiny wild or alpine strawberries which, as their name suggests, grow in hedgerows across the country and which you’re rarely going to beat the birds to. Thankfully, the cultivated varieties are consistent and delicious. The skill is in picking at the perfect time, when there is a beautiful balance of sugar and acid.From a cooking point of view, produce this good makes life easy. Mark Moriarty's elderflower custard with macerated strawberries. Photograph: Harry Weir