August

All the soft fruits are still around plus loads of colourful vegetables, including extra specialities like sweetcorn and cavolo nero – tall black cabbage that originated in Italy. You can enjoy fresh chillies and peppers, all the salad stuff and a glut of fruit. Victoria plums will begin to ripen and home-grown melons should be available along with the soft fruits and cultivated blackberries. Squid and scallops are really good and you could be lucky enough to find whitebait. The grouse season also starts on the 12th. If you can find samphire, do try it. Cook it in boiling, unsalted water for 2–5 minutes until the flesh pulls easily off the stalks. Drizzle it with melted butter and draw it through the teeth to pull off the flesh. Alternatively, cut it in short lengths and add it to a Niçoise salad or a seafood pasta or risotto.

Foods in season

Foods in italics are foods from the UK at the peak of their season.

Vegetables

Aubergines, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cavolo nero, carrots, chillies, courgettes, cucumbers, Florence fennel, garlic, globe artichokes, green beans, kohlrabi, lettuces, mangetout, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes (old, maincrop), radishes, rocket, runner beans, samphire, sorrel, sweetcorn, Swiss chard, watercress

Meat, poultry and game

Grouse, lamb, quail, rabbit, venison, wood pigeon

Fruit and nuts

Apricots, avocados (Hass), blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, greengages, loganberries, mangoes, melons, nectarines, pawpaws, peaches, plums, raspberries, redcurrants, tayberries, tomatoes, white currants

Fish and seafood

Bream, brown shrimps, cod, crabs, crayfish, Dover sole, Dublin Bay prawns (scampi), grey mullet, haddock, halibut, herring, John Dory, lemon sole, lobster, mackerel, monkfish, plaice, pollack, red mullet, river trout (brown, rainbow), salmon, sardines, scallops, sea bass, squid, whitebait

Chilled cucumber and fresh dill soup

This is a variation on a traditional theme but it’s too good not to include in this book. It’s fresh, clean-tasting and cooling on a hot summer’s day. You can add prawns or crab to it, or even some diced ham but I prefer it just plain and simple. It’s particularly good with slices of rye bread spread with unsalted butter.

Serves 4

1 cucumber

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp white balsamic condiment

284 ml buttermilk

300 ml milk

4 tiny sprigs of dill, for garnishing

1 Cut four thin slices off the cucumber and reserve for garnish. Grate the remainder into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

2 Squeeze out all the excess moisture and drain off.

3 Stir in the dill, balsamic condiment, buttermilk and pepper to taste. Cover, then chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop.

4 Just before serving, stir in the milk, ladle into bowls and garnish each bowl with a slice of cucumber and a tiny sprig of dill. Serve cold.

Whitebait with lime and egg gremolata

Whitebait is delicious just tossed in seasoned flour, quickly fried and served with wedges of lemon. However, it’s extra-special if you make a gremolata – chopped eggs with lime, olive oil, garlic and parsley to dip the crispy little morsels into. For added piquancy, you could add a teaspoon of chopped pickled capers to the mix.

Serves 4

For the gremolata:

2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

A pinch of caster sugar

4 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For the fish:

700 g whitebait

4 tbsp plain flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Oil for deep-frying

1 Whisk the gremolata ingredients together, then chill.

2 Pick over the whitebait and discard any that are damaged.

3 Mix the flour with a little salt and pepper and use to coat the fish.

4 Heat the oil for deep-frying until a cube of day-old bread browns in 30 seconds. Deep-fry the whitebait in batches for 3 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while cooking the remainder.

5 Spoon the gremolata into little individual pots. Pile the whitebait on to warm plates with a pot of gremolata on each plate. Serve straight away.

Rainbow trout with harissa, green beans and tomatoes

Red harissa paste (or powder) is a mixture of chilli and loads of other spices and comes from North Africa. It has become very popular in this country over the past few years. It’s hot but not searing and has a wonderful rich flavour that enhances fish, meat or poultry. You simply smear it on before frying or grilling.

Serves 4

4 rainbow trout, cleaned and heads removed, if liked

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp harissa paste

225 g fine green beans, trimmed

25 g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

A pinch of caster sugar

To serve:

New potatoes

1 Rinse the fish inside and out and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2 Make several slashes in both sides of the fish. Season with a little salt and pepper and rub the paste all over the skin and into the slits.

3 Cook the beans in boiling, lightly salted water for about 4 minutes until just tender but still bright green. Drain.

4 Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the oil in a large frying pan. Add the trout and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.

5 Add the tomatoes, sugar, the remaining butter and a little salt and pepper to the bean pan and toss over a gentle heat for 2–3 minutes until the tomatoes are softening but still hold their shape. Return the beans to the pan and toss gently to heat through.

6 Pile the beans and tomatoes on to warm plates and put a trout on top of each pile. Serve with new potatoes.

Salmon ceviche with tequila, chilli and fresh lime

It’s important that the fish is extremely fresh for this dish. The cubes of salmon are ‘cooked’ by marinating them in fresh lime and tequila, mixed with fresh chilli, sweet peppers, avocado, onion and coriander for a delicious, very Mexican experience. It’s wonderful made with monkfish, too.

Serves 4

450 g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned

Juice of 2 limes

2 tbsp tequila

1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 avocado, peeled, halved, stoned and diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lime wedges, for garnishing

To serve:

Flour tortillas, rolled up

1 Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces. Place in a shallow dish and toss in the lime juice, tequila and chilli. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

2 Mix the remaining ingredients together, then chill.

3 Spoon the pepper mixture on to four serving plates. Top with the fish. Garnish with lime wedges and serve with rolled up flour tortillas.

Sesame chicken and nori wraps with chilli and ginger sauce

You could serve this as a starter for eight or as a main course with some fresh egg or rice noodles or egg-fried rice. It looks sensational and is very easy to prepare. Nori sheets, usually used for sushi, are available in all good supermarkets and need no preparation. You simply roll the cooked chicken in a strip before cutting in slices.

Serves 4 or 8

For the sauce:

1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp grated fresh root ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbsp soy sauce, plus a few drops for the wraps

3 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)

4 skinless chicken breasts

4 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 small carrot, cut in matchsticks

1 small red pepper, cut in matchsticks

1 small courgette, cut in matchsticks

2 spring onions, cut in short lengths and shredded

450 ml chicken stock, ideally fresh or made with 1 stock cube

4 nori sheets, halved

1 Mix the chilli with the ginger, one of the cloves of garlic, the soy sauce and rice wine in a small bowl. Leave to stand so the flavours develop.

2 Place the chicken breasts one at a time in a plastic bag and beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until flattened. Sprinkle each with a few sesame seeds.

3 Heat the sesame and sunflower oils together in a wok or frying pan. Add the prepared vegetables and remaining garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Turn down the heat, cover and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add a few drops of soy sauce and toss. Remove from the heat.

4 Divide the vegetables among the chicken then roll the pieces of chicken up. Return to the wok or frying pan.

5 Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for about 10 minutes, turning once until tender and cooked through.

6 Lift out of the stock and drain. Roll each piece of chicken in a nori sheet, dampening the edges so they stick together. Cut the rolls in slices and arrange on white plates. Spoon a little of the cooking juices over the slices. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Pork chops with aubergine coulis

Large free-range pork chops are a delight to eat. The secret is to cook them quickly to brown them, then turn down the heat and cook until the meat feels just firm to the touch. If you continue to cook, they’ll go hard and dry. Here they are flavoured with sage and topped with a colourful, sweet-spiced combination of aubergine, tomatoes and onion.

Serves 4

6 tbsp olive oil

1 aubergine, finely diced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

½ tsp grated fresh root ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

15 g butter

4 large pork chops

1 tsp chopped fresh sage

150 ml pork or chicken stock, ideally fresh or made with 1⁄2 stock cube

4 small sprigs of sage, for garnishing

To serve:

Sautéed potatoes and green beans

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the aubergine, onion and garlic and fry, stirring, for about 6 minutes until soft.

2 Add the tomatoes, spices, sugar, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring and turning, for a further 2 minutes until the mixture is thick but you can still identify the pieces of vegetables. Taste and re-season, if necessary. Tip into a small bowl. Keep warm.

3 Rinse out the pan. Melt the butter and add the chops. Fry quickly on both sides to brown. Season the chops, sprinkle with the sage, turn down the heat and fry for 5–8 minutes, turning once, until the flesh feels firm but is still juicy. They should be cooked through but not overdone.

4 Transfer the chops to warm plates. Add the stock to the pan and boil rapidly, scraping up any sediment until reduced. Season to taste. Spoon over the chops, put a spoonful of the coulis on top and serve with sautéed potatoes and green beans.

Vegetable stir-fry with black beans

This lovely, colourful combination will delight veggies and meat eaters alike. It’s a complete meal but you could serve it with some plain or fried rice. For a more substantial meal, have it as an accompaniment to Chinese ribs, grilled fish steaks, pork or chicken (brushed with soy sauce first).

Serves 4

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 carrot, cut in matchsticks

1 courgette, sliced

175 g head of broccoli, cut in tiny florets

100 g mangetout

2 x 425 g cans of black beans, drained

2 tbsp black bean sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dry sherry

1 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic, onion, peppers and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2 Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

3 Add the beans, sauces and sherry and toss for 2 minutes until piping hot.

Roasted rainbow peppers with onions, rosemary and garlic

These are gorgeous with any barbecued, grilled or roasted meats, chicken or fish. You can ring the changes by adding aubergines or courgettes to the mixture but always make sure you include some peppers for their distinctive Mediterranean flavour. You can chill them and serve cold as a salad if you prefer.

Serves 4

2 red peppers, cut in 6 pieces

2 green peppers, cut in 6 pieces

2 yellow peppers, cut in 6 pieces

2 orange peppers, cut in 6 pieces

2 red onions, cut in wedges

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary

5 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Coarse sea salt

1 Spread out the peppers and onions in a large roasting tin. Scatter the garlic over.

2 Strip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and finely chop. Scatter over the peppers.

3 Trickle the olive oil all over and add a good grinding of pepper.

4 Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C/gas 6/fan oven 180°C for about 45 minutes until soft and lightly browned in places, stirring twice during cooking.

5 Tip with all the delicious flavoured oil into a serving dish and sprinkle with a few grains of coarse sea salt.

Orange sponge with fresh loganberry sauce

The lovely light sponge, flavoured with the zest of an orange and drizzled with a rich loganberry sauce, is topped with fresh fruit to make a delicious summertime dessert. It can be made in advance then just put together at the last minute. You can use raspberries or strawberries instead of the loganberries if you like.

Serves 6

For the sponge:

75 g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

100 g caster sugar

75 g butter, softened

1 large egg

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp milk

For the sauce and topping:

Juice of 1 orange

350 g fresh loganberries

2 tbsp icing sugar

To serve:

Crème fraîche

1 Oil an 18 cm/7 in square, shallow baking tin and line the base with non-stick baking parchment.

2 Put the flour, baking powder, 75 g of the sugar, the butter, egg, orange zest and milk in a bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon. Alternatively, mix in a food processor but run the machine only until the mixture is blended; do not over-mix.

3 Turn into the oiled tin and level the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/gas 5/fan oven 170°C for about 25 minutes until risen, golden and the centre springs back when pressed gently. Cool slightly then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

4 Put half the loganberries in a small saucepan with the orange juice and remaining caster sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until pulpy.

5 Rub the stewed loganberries through a sieve to purée and remove the pips. Leave to cool.

6 When ready to serve, cut the cake into six pieces. Transfer to serving plates. Trickle the loganberry sauce over and around. Pile the remaining loganberries on top and decorate with a little sifted icing sugar. Put a spoonful of crème fraîche to the side of each plate and serve.

Poached apricots in amaretto with almond curls

Peaches, nectarine, greengages or plums all taste fabulous given this treatment. Somehow the amaretto brings out the flavour of every single fruit in a slightly different way and the almond curls complement the fruit perfectly. I like the fruit served warm but you could chill them first if you prefer.

Serves 4

For the almond curls:

50 g butter, softened

50 g caster sugar

40 g plain flour

50 g flaked almonds

For the fruit:

50 g caster sugar

150 ml water

450 g fresh apricots, halved and stoned

2–3 tbsp amaretto liqueur

To serve:

Pouring cream

1 Make the almond curls. Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Work in the flour and almonds.

2 Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment. Using a teaspoon, put the mixture in 12 small mounds, well apart, on the baking sheet. Flatten with a wet knife.

3 Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/gas 6/fan oven 180°C for about 15 minutes until lightly golden. Lift off the baking sheet and quickly curl round a rolling pin. When firm, transfer to a wire rack.

4 Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar melts.

5 Add the fruit, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook very gently for 5–10 minutes until the fruit is tender but still holds its shape. Do not boil rapidly or it will break up.

6 Add the amaretto, turn into a glass dish and leave until warm. Serve with the almond curls and pouring cream.