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The gods must be smiling on us right now - despite the fact that the ramshackle England team were walloped by the Germans in the World Cup, the sun appears to be here to stay (at least for a few days), temperatures are on the up, and it's strawberry season.

So, how can you make the most of the balmy weather and the brightly coloured fruits and vegetables springing up in the shops? By having an al fresco lunch, that's how.

The organisers of this year's Big Lunch want to encourage people to get to know their neighbours by eating out in the open air and throw their own stonking street party on 18 July.

Of course, if the weather turns 'British', you'll need a contingency and you can find lots of ideas on The Big Lunch site for that. However, you shouldn't let that stop you and your neighbours enjoying the fine British fare now in season.

If you're thinking about what you could make to bring along to your lunch, get inspired by the piles of British strawberries around at the moment.

Britain's strawberry season lasts until the middle of August, so now's the time to make a visit to your local farmer's market to snap up a few punnets of this succulent fruit.

Strawberry and feta salad
Make up a big strawberry and feta salad, as it will keep well in the fridge and can be shared out easily if there's any left over. To serve 10 people, wash and de-stalk 5 punnets of strawberries, then slice them into small quarters.

Cube three blocks of feta cheese and mix with the strawberries in a large bowl. Add a head of a washed round English lettuce, torn into small pieces, along with 500g chopped walnuts and two sliced red onions.

Stir in three tablespoons of honey dissolved in a little boiling water, then drizzle liberally with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This salad is a wonderful compliment to barbecued chicken or fish and goes well with a glass or two of Pimm's.

Enjoy - and save some for your lunch guests!