Cool as a cucumber

Asian smashed cucumbers

Serves 4

1 tsp salt

2½ tsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari

1½ tbsp rice vinegar

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 large cucumbers

2 tsp chilli oil

2 tsp sesame seeds

4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

1 fresh red chilli, chopped (optional)

1 In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar and crushed garlic. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved, then set aside.

2 On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against a cucumber and smash it lightly with your other hand, cracking it open and breaking it into sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open, chop the sections into bite-sized pieces. Repeat this process with the second cucumber.

3 In a large bowl, mix the cucumbers with the prepared dressing, drizzle with the chilli oil and toss to coat well. Garnish with the sesame seeds, coriander and chilli, if using.

Glazed mackerel with pickled cucumbers and potato salad

Serves 4

For the pickled cucumbers:

2 cucumbers, thinly sliced

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Handful of fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

For the potato salad:

500g baby new potatoes, scrubbed

4 tbsp mayonnaise

4 tbsp sour cream

¼ onion, grated

½ tsp gluten-free Dijon mustard

2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

Juice of ½ a lemon

For the honey-glazed mackerel:

3 tbsp gluten-free honey

1 tbsp gluten-free wholegrain mustard

4 mackerel fillets

1 Place the cucumbers in a bowl with the rice wine vinegar, dill, sugar and salt. Toss to combine and set aside for at least one hour.

2 For the potato salad, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season well with salt and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Cool to room temperature, then combine in a bowl with the remaining potato salad ingredients. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3 Preheat the grill to a high heat. Whisk the honey and mustard together. Place the mackerel fillets on a baking tray, skin-side down, and brush with the honey mixture.

4 Grill the mackerel for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked throughout. Serve with the potato salad and pickled cucumbers.

Melon and cucumber ice pops

Makes 12

½ a large honeydew melon, peeled, deseeded and chopped

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp sugar

7-8 mint leaves

1½ cucumbers, 1 peeled, deseeded and chopped, ½ very thinly sliced

To finish: 12 wooden ice lolly sticks

1 In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients except for the thinly sliced cucumber. Whizz to combine.

2 Drain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Pour into ice lolly moulds and add 2-3 slices of cucumber to each mould.

3 Cover and freeze for 6-8 hours until solid, pushing in the wooden sticks after an hour or so.

4 To remove the ice pops from the moulds, run cool tap water around the outsides for a few seconds.