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Aussie summer, California style

This week, our food writer Libby Kimber shares some recipes from the West Coast to keep you cool – in both senses of the word.

Recipes extracted from Eat California by Vivian Lui, published by Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99. Photography © Con Poulos, food stylist © Vivian Lui.

Citrus salad

Prep: 15 mins Serves 4

1 small pomelo 1 pink grapefruit 2 navel, cara cara or blood oranges 1 celery stalk, plus inner leaves Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced crossways 8 kumquats, finely sliced crossways 60g pistachios, shelled and chopped Sea salt flakes Peel the thick skin off the pomelo, then remove enough of the outer white pith to be able to separate the pomelo into individual segments. Run a small paring knife along the flat side of a segment to release the inner fruit from the membrane. Repeat with the remaining segments. Slice the top and bottom off the grapefruit to expose the fruit. Use a paring knife to remove the skin and pith following the curve of the fruit. Slice crossways to make rounds. Reserve the accumulated juices in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with the oranges. Shave the celery with a peeler or mandolin. Cut the ribbons down into bite-sized pieces. Place the celery and leaves in the bowl with the reserved juices. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lightly toss. To serve, arrange all the mixed citrus on a platter or individual plates. Top with the dressed celery, pistachios and a light sprinkling of salt.

Coconut popsicles

Prep: 5 mins, plus freezing time Makes 10

Palm Springs date pops 400ml tinned unsweetened coconut milk 200g medjool dates, pitted 50g coconut flakes 2 Tbsp honey ½ tsp ground cardamom Pinch of sea salt flakes

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to popsicle moulds and freeze for 30 minutes before placing in sticks. Return to the freezer to fully set for about 4 hours before unmoulding.

Citrus creamsicle pops 400ml tinned unsweetened coconut milk 125ml (1/2 cup) condensed milk 300ml mixed citrus juice 2 Tbsp mixed citrus zest

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to popsicle moulds and freeze for 30 minutes before placing in sticks. Return to the freezer to fully set for about 4 hours before unmoulding.

Strawberry and vanilla pops 170g strawberries, sliced 55g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped out or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 400ml tinned sweetened coconut milk 225g natural yoghurt

Toss the strawberries, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. Leave for 20 minutes. Add the milk and yoghurt to a large measuring cup and whisk to combine. Purée the strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Divide among popsicle moulds. Top with the yoghurt mix and swirl. Freeze for 30 minutes before placing in sticks. Return to the freezer for 4 hours until fully set before unmoulding.