11 June recipes
Be inspired to make the most of June’s bounty, from succulent strawberries to fresh mint and charred courgettes
Want to know what’s in season in June? Looking for June recipe ideas? Use sweet strawberries, fresh mint from the garden and aubergines and courgettes from your local greengrocer to make these seasonal dishes and bakes. We’ve included plenty of tips for how to shop for particular varieties, prepping guides and useful ideas to use up leftovers.
After, check out our best May recipes, July recipes and August recipes.
Nectarines
Nectarines are a smooth-skinned, round stone fruit. Red on the outside with creamy yellow flesh, they are related to peaches, with a similar floral and sweet flavour. When ripe they’ll have a wonderful scent and will be slightly soft when squeezed. Discover more of our nectarine recipes here.
Nectarine crumble
Nectarines are in season throughout the summer – pair them with almonds and amaretto to make this dessert, which is full of sunshiny flavour.
Lettuce
Lettuces are from the daisy family and are grown for their leaves. You’ll recognise Iceburg, Little Gem, Butterhead and Romaine from supermarkets. Look for bright, fresh leaves that look like they’ve just been pulled from the ground. Find more lettuce recipes here.
More like this
Charred lettuce with ranch dressing and bacon bits
This salad of crunchy lettuce and crisp bacon bits is all about the creamy homemade ranch dressing. It makes a great side dish for a summer BBQ.
Tarragon
Tarragon is a leafy, soft herb that grows in spring and summer. It has a strong aniseed and liquorice flavour, and is commonly used in classic French dishes such as béarnaise sauce.
Tarragon butter chicken
A whole chicken is brined here with bay and lemon, before being roasted and then slathered in tarragon butter. The result is beautifully juicy meat with golden skin and a subtle aniseed-flavoured edge from the fresh leafy herb.
Tarragon ice cream
Tarragon, with its heady aniseed flavour, is in season throughout the spring and summer. Put it to great use in this ice cream, which is perfect for sunny days and warm evenings.
Strawberries
You can eat any left-over strawberries with meringue nests and cream, make jam to preserve for the colder months or freeze to add to smoothies. They’re at their best in June. Find plenty of strawberry recipes here.
Strawberry cupcakes
These dainty cupcakes stay beautifully moist thanks to the chopped up strawberries folded into the sponge. Perfect for afternoon tea or a summer bake sale.
Mint
It thrives in UK gardens but people are often unsure how to use it. As well as this sauce, mint is great as a tea or in any recipe that includes parsley or coriander – just add some chopped mint, too. Discover more mint recipes here.
Mint sauce
Use up mint from the garden in this classic mint sauce – it's essential for roast lamb and only takes five minutes to make.
Cook’s notes
Here are some alternative ideas on how to use this mint sauce:
• Turn this sauce into a dressing by whisking 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil into it and tossing with crunchy green vegetables, such as lettuce and cucumber.
• Try brushing some of the mint sauce onto lamb cutlets before grilling, then toss in a little more when the meat is resting.
• Whisk a few tablespoons of the mint sauce into plain yogurt for a great chicken kebab marinade.
Aubergines
Aubergines are good at soaking up flavours – you’ll find that after they’ve simmered in all of the spices they’ll be bursting with flavour, especially after giving them a good char at the beginning. Taste a bit before serving – you want them to be meltingly soft. Take your pick from our aubergine recipes.
Smoky aubergine chilli
Charred aubergines give this vegan chilli a delicious, smoky depth, making it a great family midweek meat alternative.
Courgettes
Also known as zucchini, courgettes are from the same family as cucumbers, squashes and melons and are an extremely versatile vegetable. They work well with diverse cuisines and flavours – eaten raw thinly sliced in salads, fried until crisp, or gently simmered in a soup or stew until tender. Look out for smooth, unblemished skin when buying. Find more of our courgette recipes here.
Harissa lamb-stuffed courgettes
Fill courgettes with a mix of lamb mince, garlic, cumin and harissa, and bake in a fiery tomato sauce to make an exciting weeknight meal for two.
BBQ courgettes with labneh and savoury granola
The combination of smoky, charred courgettes, creamy labneh and crunchy savoury granola makes this a perfect side dish when you're entertaining.
Goat’s cheese and courgette frittata
Easy to make and ready in 20 minutes, this vegetarian frittata is the perfect summer lunch. Courgette, spring onions and goat's cheese are an irresistible flavour combination.
Summer courgette curry
This light, summery courgette curry is ready in less than an hour – perfect for a vegetarian midweek dinner.
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