I love the episodes where I just get to talk about amazing food. This week it’s summer food in the UK, particularly July and August. What tastes great, and what will I be cooking?
Amazing Summer Fruits
There is a huge list of fruits that are great in summer, but they tend to be the softer fruits and the ones that spoil quickest. So eat them as soon as you possibly can after they have been picked, buy them directly from the farm or even better grow them in your garden. I have a fabulous blueberry bush in a pot in my garden that has survived two house moves, an extension and still gives us masses of fruit every year. Great Summer fruits include:
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Currants – black, red & white
- Plums
Fabulous Veggies and Salads
For me, it’s all about the salad leaves and tomatoes in summer. Did you know there are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes? One of my favourite ways of eating them in summer is a simple Heritage Tomato Salad served with some crusty bread. But there is a massive list of seasonal vegetables that are available, so check out your local shops and see if you can find some new varieties, including:
- Salad leaves (too many to list!)
- Radishes
- New potatoes
- Green beans
- Peas
- Courgettes
- Tomatoes
- Fennel
- Cucumber
- Broad beans
- Soft herbs
Meat and fish for Summer months
Cooking outdoors is one of my favourite things to do in the Summer, and we eat a lot of burgers and sausages as they are easy and convenient. But, I do love to slow roast a shoulder of lamb or pork until it is falling off the bone, then serve it with crisp salad and pitta bread. My favourite spice blend is ras-el-hanout, a wonderful taste of the Middle East.
Unfortunately, my hubby doesn’t eat fish, but I LOVE sardines cooked on the grill, and so I choose them anytime that we are out.
I think there is something very decadent to stuffing a whole fish and cooking it on the grill.
My links
What is your summer food star? I’d love to hear from you!