the season

July provides a bounty of fresh ingredients that are at their best in these summer recipes

In season this month beetroots blackberries broad beans beans cherries raspberries runner beans runner samphire swiss chard swiss

Swiss chard and smoked haddock eggs en cocotte

SERVES 2 | PREP 10 MINS | COOK 35 MINS | EASY | GF

200g smoked haddock fillets (preferably undyed)

½ tbsp unsalted butter

200g swiss chard, washed and chopped grating of nutmeg

2 eggs

2 spring onions, finely chopped

150ml double cream

20g parmesan, finely grated toasted sourdough or rustic bread, to serve

1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the fish into a tiered steamer and steam for 10 mins until cooked through and flaky when pressed. Heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then fry the chard for 5-6 mins or until wilted. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.

2 Flake the fish into chunky pieces, then divide between two individual-serve ovenproof dishes. Add the chard to the dishes, then crack an egg over each. Scatter over the spring onions, pour in the cream, season lightly with salt, and plenty of black pepper, then scatter with the parmesan. Bake for 15-20 mins or until the egg whites have set but the yolks are still runny. Serve with toasts for dunking.

PER SERVING 613 kcals | fat 51.9G saturates 30.5G | carbs 4.4G | sugars 2.3G fibre 0.3G | protein 31.9G | salt 2.1G

Swiss chard and tofu yellow curry

SERVES 4-6 | PREP 20 MINS | COOK 20 MINS | EASY | LC

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

396g block of extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1cm cubes

1 lemongrass stalk

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

10g ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp thai yellow curry paste

1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced

200g rainbow chard or chard, stems cut into 4cm pieces, leaves shredded

400ml coconut milk

250ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp tamari large pinch of brown sugar few thai basil leaves, torn, plus smaller leaves to garnish steamed rice to serve

1 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the tofu with salt, then cook in the pan in a single layer, turning every so often, for 6-8 mins or until all sides are golden. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and season again lightly.

2 Gently bruise the lemongrass using a heavy pan. Separate and reserve the green root and finely chop the remaining stalk. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chopped lemongrass, onion, garlic and ginger with a pinch of salt for 4-5 mins or until softened. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min until darkened, then add the peppers and chard stems, coating in the mixture. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of the coconut milk and add the rest to the pan with the stock and lemongrass root. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 mins until the veggies are tender.

3 Add the tofu and chard leaves. Simmer until the tofu is warmed through and the leaves have wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, tamari, sugar and torn basil. Drizzle the remaining coconut milk over the top and serve with steamed rice.

PER SERVING (6) 307 kcals | fat 24.6G saturates 11.1G | carbs 8.6G | sugars 5.5G fibre 3.3G | protein 11.1G | salt 0.6G

Swiss chard

Don’t be afraid to mix it up with chard and go for different colours – there’s next to no difference in taste, though ruby chard with its rich red stalks is slightly stronger in flavour.

Cherry labneh summer pudding

This makes more labneh than you will need – use as part of a salad spread or smear on toast or inside a hearty sandwich. You will need a 20cm wide, 11-12cm deep domed mixing bowl for this recipe.

SERVES 8 | PREP 35 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT STRAINING AND CHILLING | COOK 10 MINS | MORE EFFORT

700g greek yogurt

800g pitted or frozen cherries few strips of orange zest

1 vanilla pod

70g caster sugar

250ml double cream

2 tbsp wildflower honey

1 tsp orange blossom water

12 slices of brioche, crusts removed

200ml pomegranate juice

3 tsp arrowroot powder mixed with 3 tsp of cold water double cream, to serve

1 Making your own labneh is easy, you just need to strain some yogurt for 4-6 hrs or overnight. Mix the yogurt with a pinch of salt, tip it into a piece of muslin or a very fine sieve and let any liquid slowly drain out of it into a bowl. If you are using muslin you can help this along by folding the muslin up around the yogurt and twisting the top to squeeze out the moisture. The salty whey left behind can be used as a stock for soups or stews, or in baking.

2 Combine the cherries, orange zest, vanilla pod and sugar in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, cooking for 6-8 mins or until the cherries start to soften and release their juices. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and leave to cool completely.

3 Beat together the cream, honey and orange blossom water until they form very soft peaks. Add 250g of the labneh and gently fold through until just combined. Discard the orange peel and vanilla bean from the cherries, firmly pressing out any extra cherry juice, setting the juice aside. Roughly chop 350g of the cherries, then fold into the cream mixture.

4 Line the domed mixing bowl with clingfilm, leaving enough to hang over the sides. Set aside 200ml of the cherry juice for use later. Dip a brioche slice into the remaining juice and use to layer the bottom of the bowl – you might need to tear beforehand to fit neatly. Add a little less than a third of the cream-cherry mixture, using a palette knife or spatula to level out. Repeat with the brioche, tearing and dipping before layering with the cream mixture. If you need a little more cherry juice, take a few extra tbsp from the reserved juice. You should have three layers of the cream mixture, finishing with a final fourth layer of soaked brioche. Lay the overhanging clingfilm over the top, then put a plate on top. Rest a heavy tin on top of the plate to weight it down, then chill for at least 4 hrs.

5 Combine the remaining cherry juice with an equal amount of pomegranate juice. Gently heat in a small pan, add 2 tsp of the arrowroot mixture and boil, whisking continuously, until thickened – it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s still a little thin, add a drop or more of the arrowroot, stirring continuously, until you have a thickened, glossy sauce. Leave to cool.

6 Before serving, invert the pudding onto a large plate, removing the clingfilm. Pour over the reserved sauce and serve with lashings of cream and the left-over cherries.

PER SERVING 689 kcals | fat 34.5G saturates 21.6G | carbs 82.3G | sugars 39.8G fibre 3.3G | protein 10.8G | salt 1.1G

Cherries

No cherry pitter, no problem. Put a small metal piping nozzle on a board, press the cherry on top slowly and the pip will pop out of the top.

Herby broad beans with fried eggs

SERVES 2 | PREP 10 MINS | COOK 10 MINS | EASY | LC GF

40ml olive oil, plus 1 tbsp 1 small shallot, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ tsp pul biber, plus extra to garnish 300g fresh or frozen broad beans (double podded if fresh) small handful of finely chopped herbs (we used dill, parsley and mint) juice of ½ a lemon

2 eggs

60g feta, crumbled

1 Gently heat 40ml of oil, the shallot and garlic with a large pinch of salt in a frying pan for 6-8 mins or until softened and fragrant. Sprinkle over the pul biber then add the beans, gently heating through for 2-3 mins. Add the herbs and cook for a further 1 min before removing from the heat and adding the lemon juice. Stir through and season to taste, adding a squeeze more lemon juice if needed.

2 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, fry the eggs to your desired crispiness, making sure the white is cooked through and the yolk is still runny.

3 Toss most of the feta through the beans, then divide between two plates. Top with the eggs, remaining feta, a fresh crack of black pepper and an extra pinch of pul biber.

Broad beans

It might not be the most fun kitchen job but double podding broad beans is essential to avoid the leathery texture after removing them from the main pod. Simply blanch the beans, drain and cool, then slit the leathery skin, popping out the bright green bean.

Beetroot tartare and ricotta toasts

MAKES 10 | PREP 30 MINS | COOK 1 HR 30 MINS | EASY | V

250g beetroots

1 tsp white miso

½ tsp wholegrain mustard

½ tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp worcestershire sauce few shakes of Tabasco

1 small shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 cornichons, very finely diced

1 tsp capers, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp finely chopped chives

2 tsp finely chopped dill, plus extra to garnish

180g ricotta

1 tbsp creamed horseradish, plus 1 tsp

5 slices grainy rye bread, lightly toasted (we used Biona Organic rye bread with sunflower seeds)

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trim the beetroots of any leaves and stems. Scrub the beetroot bulbs and wrap loosely in foil – if they are large, wrap individually. Put on a rimmed baking tray and roast for 1 hr 30 mins until tender –a sharp knife should pierce them easily.

2 Once the beetroot is roasted, cool slightly before using kitchen paper to rub off the skins. Finely chop the beetroots –they don’t have to be perfectly diced but you don’t want it to be chunky, and keep them as evenly chopped as possible. Combine the miso with 2 tsp of hot water in a small bowl, then stir in the mustards, vinegar, worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. While the beetroot is still warm, combine with the mustard mixture and all the other ingredients, bar the ricotta, horseradish and bread. Season and leave to sit for 30 mins or until completely cool and the beetroot has marinated.

3 Combine the ricotta with the horseradish. Cut the bread into halves, spread over the ricotta and top with spoonfuls of the beetroot. Garnish with dill and serve.

PER SERVING 112 kcals | fat 2.8G saturates 1.4G | carbs 15.5G | sugars 3.9G fibre 4.5G | protein 4G | salt 0.7G

Beetroot

Earthy, rich and sweet, despite its deep red colour and bulbous shape, beetroot is related to spinach and chard, and is just as nutritious.

GET CREATIVE!

Simple recipes, classic ingredients, new flavours – time to get cooking

BEETROOT TOP PESTO (MAKES 200G)

In a food processor, blitz the tops of a bunch of beetroots (you’ll need about 80g, so add in some herbs such as flat-leaf parsley if need be), 50g of toasted nuts (walnuts work well, though pistachios and traditional pine nuts will, too), 2 garlic cloves and 30g of grated parmesan While processing, drizzle in enough olive oil to create a loose pesto-like consistency. Squeeze in some lemon juice for some freshness and season to taste.

PICKLED CHERRY, FETA AND BITTERLEAF SALAD (SERVES 2)

Combine 200ml of red wine vinegar, 75g of light brown sugar, 1 bay leaf, a few thyme sprigs, 1 tsp of whole black peppercorns and a large pinch of salt in a pan with 200ml of water. Gently simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Pack 500g of pitted cherries into a sterilised jar and pour in the liquid. Seal the jar and leave to cool for at least two to three days. Combine 2 tbsp of the pickling juices with 40ml of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of runny honey, then season. Arrange 300g of bitter salad leaves (such as rocket, watercress, radicchio) on a platter. Crumble over 100g of feta, a few spoonfuls of the cherries and a good drizzle of the dressing.

ROAST GARLIC BROAD BEAN DIP (SERVES 4)

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice a little off the top of a garlic bulb, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Wrap in foil and roast for 45 mins until softened. Squeeze the soft garlic cloves into a food processor. Add 400g of double podded broad beans, the juice and zest of ½ a lemon, 4 tbsp natural yogurt and some chopped dill with some seasoning. Blitz until smooth, adding a little water to loosen if it’s too thick. Serve with crusty bread and crudités

SALT AND VINEGAR RAINBOW CHARD CRISPS (SERVES 2)

Remove the stalks and ribs from 10 large chard leaves and tear into large pieces. Combine 1½ tbsp of cider vinegar with 1 tbsp of olive oil and drizzle over the leaves. Toss to coat, then sprinkle over a healthy pinch of salt and toss to coat again. Arrange on two large lined baking trays and bake in a 160C/140C fan/gas 3 oven for 10 mins, turning halfway through, until crispy.