June
| Published: 17th June 2008 20:37 |
Summer is here, and so are the early soft fruits and more delicate green vegetables. Peas, radishes, rocket, watercress, spring onions, broad beans and courgettes all make for great summer salads. Also oily fish are particularly good. Mackerel, Herrings and Sardines are all great for barbecuing. Early strawberries grown undercover are available now too! Summer is such a wonderful time for great food, there are so many interesting ingredients available, it also a little nicer to walk around the farmers' market on a warm summer day than trudge through the mud on a bitterly cold day in winter.
Gooseberries
Small, early, green gooseberries tend to make the best pies, fools, preserves and chutneys, they need a little more sweetening but have a much nicer flavour. There are many varieties, hairy or smooth and golden, yellow or pink-red. Topped, tailed, cooked with a little added sugar, gooseberry compote is a traditional accompaniment to mackerel but can be eaten with salmon, veal, pork, roast game birds, and other rich meats. The high pectin content makes the fruit ideal for jam-making. Try adding elderflowers to gooseberry pies, tarts and crumbles - they will give a subtle, sweet summer fragrance.
See our wonderful Traditional Gooseberry Fool
Tayberries
Developed in Scotland, Tayberries are a hybrid of the blackberry and the raspberry. It's a large berry, long and conical in shape and deep reddish-purple, with the flavour and fragrance of blackberries but a texture more like raspberries. Tayberries can be a little tart, but use them as you would blackberries and raspberries, in cooked and uncooked desserts. They are wonderful in summer pudding, pies, ice cream, sorbet, or in fruit sauces, jams and jellies.
See our Summer Fruit Pudding
Courgettes
The traditionally grown variety is available from June to October. They are usually green but can also be yellow. Courgettes are great simply steamed or pan-fried in a little butter, they are also good raw. As courgettes get larger, the flavour develops and they can stand up to stronger flavours, such as garlic, basil, parsley, tomatoes and olive oil. Add courgettes to omelettes, frittata, risotto and ratatouille, or slice thinly, dip in batter and deep fry them.
Try a Courgette Frittata, perfect hot or cold
Broad Beans
Broad beans are at their best when the pods are pale green and tender and the beans are still small, the whole young pod can be cooked and eaten. You can stir fry the whole pods with a little chilli and garlic, like the Japanese Endame. Only brief steaming or cooking is required when broad beans are in their prime but, as the season progresses, the pods get bigger and tougher and skins of the beans get thicker and should be removed before cooking. Once cooked, coat in a little butter and sprinkle with chopped summer herbs. You can even mash them and serve as you would mashed potato. I remember Broad beans, Bacon and New Potatoes from the summers of my childhood.
Try Pasta with Broad Beans and Summer Herbs
Elderflowers
Such a British flavour, elderflower cordial is just the thing for a hot summer day. For a great summer cocktail try champagne or sparkling wine instead of water with the cordial. Young elderflowers have a sweet delicate scent, they are past their best when the scent is more cat's litter tray than beautifully floral. It's important to use young flower heads that have fully bloomed. Pick them on a dry day (some say early in morning is best as it's thought that's when they're most fragrant), shake well to remove any bugs, wash in cool water and use that same day.
Try our wonderful Elderflower Fritters
Peas
There is nothing like picking, shelling and cooking peas. They are sweet and fresh; however, don't buy fresh peas from the supermarket as the natural sugars turn to starch after picking. This is why frozen peas are so good - they are frozen immediately after picking to preserve the sugars.
Pea and Broad Bean Dip
Grey Mullet
Grey mullet is not actually related to red mullet and is completely different in size, taste and appearance. When choosing your fish make sure it is over 35cm, as a fish under this size is immature. Grey mullet should be handled with care as they bruise easily and become soft. Grey mullet is suitable for baking, poaching and grilling. Grey Mullet has a sustainability rating of 4, but this is due to the lack of data on the fish rather than it being endangered.
Try our Grey Mullet with Summer Herbs and Vegetables Baked en papillote
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