19 August recipes

Blackberries

During blackberry picking season in the UK and most of Europe, it's crucial to select the finest berries for your culinary adventures. Blackberries, known for their long, spiky brambles, grow wild in abundance. To ensure you're picking the best, look for plump, dark blackberries, as these contain the sweetest juice. Also, ensure the berries you choose come away easily from the plant. Once you've gathered these prime blackberries, their versatile nature allows you to use them in various ways.

These sweet, slightly tart berries are perfect for making jams, jellies and baked goods, with their natural tartness easily balanced by sugar. However, if you're feeling adventurous, consider exploring other avenues. You can try pickling them to create a unique accompaniment for cheeses or the duck recipe below. Blackberries offer a delightful contrast of flavours, making them a versatile addition to your repertoire.

Lemon blackberry cake

This light, summery bake combines tart blackberries and lemon with a hint of sweetness from icing sugar. It's great with a drizzle of cream or ice cream, too.

Baked brie with pickled blackberries and thyme roasted nuts

This melting baked brie is an effortless starter for your next dinner party. It comes with home-pickled blackberries, toasted sourdough and roasted nuts.

Blackberry cheesecake blondies

This white chocolate blondie batter with a cheesecake ripple and homemade blackberry jam is the ultimate comfort pud.

Blackberry baked oats

Make the most of tart, juicy blackberries in this easy oat bake that's perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Blackberry pie

Forage some of these plump, deep purple berries, then bake into a juicy, fruity pie with savoury bay leaves, which add an aromatic edge and complexity.

Plums

In the UK, plums come into season between August to early October, signalling the beginning of Autumn. A member of the Rose family along with cherries, apples and pears, these juicy stone fruits develop the best flavour when left to ripen on the tree.

Plums are a seasonal British fruit and there are hundreds of varieties grown across the country. Japanese plums, with their red hue, are the type you would typically find in the supermarket but don’t be afraid to branch out. Look for varieties such as Victoria (classic plum colour and widely grown), Marjorie’s Seedling (blue/black late season fruit) and Warwickshire Drooper (small, golden-yellow fruit).

Plums can be eaten raw or cooked. They are delicious simply stewed with a little sugar and cinnamon, made into jam or grilled and served with yogurt and honey. They are also a staple of autumn baking, and a popular choice for crumbles, fruity bakes and pies. Plums can also work well in savoury dishes, whether served in a salad, chutney or made into plum sauce to accompany duck or pork.

Plum jam

Use up a glut of plums to make this easy jam, great for using in sweet bakes or slathering on toast.

Plum upside-down cake

This vibrant upside-down cake uses couscous in the batter to provide a gentle bite (similar to polenta). Serve with a dollop of yogurt for dessert.

Sticky plum and earl grey ribs with plum and sesame salad

Make the most of seasonal plums by creating this rich plum sauce spiced with ginger, cinnamon and allspice to coat your dry-rubbed ribs.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes have a fascinating history. Originating in South and Central America, they were introduced to Europe by the Spanish during the 16th century. Since then, they've become an integral component of many European and Asian cuisines. If you find yourself with an abundance of homegrown tomatoes, consider making your own tomato passata, a perfect way to utilise any split, damaged or bruised fruits that might not make it to the table.

When it comes to storing tomatoes, it's essential to keep their sweet, tangy flavours intact. Refrigeration can mute their flavours, so it's best to store them at room temperature, especially if they're not very ripe. If you must refrigerate them, make sure they return to room temperature for about 30 minutes before consuming to fully appreciate their delicious taste.

Creamy tomato pasta

Use up a glut of tomatoes by roasting them until saucy, then stir in mascarpone and serve tossed in pasta for an easy weeknight meal.

Grilled mango, tomato and burrata platter

A joyful, vibrant mix of heritage tomatoes, smooth burrata, grilled mango and a lime chilli dressing. Perfect for a sharing lunch, alfresco.

Tomato risotto

This comforting dish is packed with simple Italian flavours, and topped with shredded basil and parmesan.

Watermelon

Watermelons are the epitome of summer, known for their juicy, crisp, sweet flesh, and refreshing flavour. These fruits are synonymous with the height of the season, offering a myriad of culinary possibilities. You can slice them into salads, enhance them with zesty chilli dressings, serve them on cocktail sticks paired with creamy feta, or transform them into refreshing sorbets and granitas that provide instant relief from the summer heat.

However, choosing the perfect watermelon can be a bit of a challenge. Here's a useful tip: when selecting one, give the thick rind a gentle tap. Listen for a dull sound and feel for a slight vibration. These indicators signal a ripe melon, thanks to its high water content.

Watermelon sorbet

The sweet, crisp flesh and refreshing flavour of watermelon makes this sorbet the perfect palate cleanser at summer dinner parties. It's also a great base for watermelon margaritas – just add tequila.

Crusted feta with rocket and watermelon salad

Fried, breadcrumbed feta with a juicy watermelon and rocket salad, finished with a chilli-honey dressing – it's summer on a plate.

Swiss chard

This leafy green veg brings a pop of colour to the table with its rainbow stems. Its flavour is similar to spinach, but with larger stems. Cook the stems for a few minutes before adding the leaves in one-pots such as curries and stews, or steam with the sliced stems at the bottom of the steamer with the greens laid on top, as they need a little more cooking.

Roast squash, feta and chard börek

Make the most of chard season with this impressive centrepiece. Try our simple recipe with sweet butternut squash and crumbled feta wrapped in crispy filo pastry sprinkled with za'atar.

Green beans

Green beans are the young pods of the common bean – also known as French beans (haricot vert) – and have a sweet, mild flavour and tender texture. Simply steam and butter them for an easy side dish, or try finely chopping them and mixing with chillies, shallots and olive oil for a quick salsa for tacos or fish. Alternatively, char them on a hot griddle pan or barbecue before dunking in a romesco dip.

Green bean curry

This is a perfect main or part of a spread, adapted from Laxmi Khurana’s An Indian Housewife’s Recipe Book. You can use frozen beans, but use fresh while they're at their best in the summer.

Cucumbers

From ‘smashed’ cucumber salad, to tzatziki and Pimm’s cocktails, cucumbers are hugely versatile, with refreshing flavour and juicy texture. Try stir-frying with Sichuan pepper, bashing into chunky pieces to fold through a vinegary dressing, or thinly slicing to layer into soft cheese and chive sandwiches. Cucumber doesn’t last long once cut, so pickle slices if you won’t use it all, or fold into a raita, which will keep for several days.

Feta and cucumber salad with dill dressing

Ridged cucumbers have a stronger flavour than the regular variety, and firmer flesh, too. They stand up perfectly here to the olives and feta – a combo inspired by the flavours of Greek salad and tzatziki.

Basil

It’s not just for caprese salads and pizza – basil has a floral, aromatic scent that can transport you to sunnier climes with just one whiff. There are a few varieties of basil, including Greek, Thai, cinnamon, lemon, sweet and holy. Sweet basil is the most common in the UK, with its soft, delicate leaves, and its versatility makes it popular – blend it into pesto, tear into green salads or scatter over red fruit pavlovas. When cooked into sauces, it releases subtle flavour and aroma: try adding a handful to tomato sauce before simmering, rather than at the end.

Courgette, brown butter and basil gnocchi

Inspired by a piccata, this lemon and butter sauce is made even better with the addition of aromatic basil. It works well with pasta as well as gnocchi, and is just as great with ricotta instead of pecorino if you want to keep it vegetarian.

Sweetcorn

Slathered in butter and eaten straight from the cob, sweetcorn makes a perennially popular barbecue side. The kernels are at their sweetest when they’ve soaked up most of the summer sunshine in August and September, but outside of their late summer season, look for frozen and tinned sweetcorn. While the sun is still shining though, there’s nothing stopping us charring whole cobs straight on the barbecue. Try the punchy, charred salsa below or look out for dishes inspired by the Mexican street food dish elote, where cobs are cooked on the roadside, slathered in mayo, chilli, lime and cotija, a cheese similar to feta.

Sweetcorn salsa with lime salt tortilla chips

Make the tortilla chips in advance and serve while you continue cooking your mains on the coals. Add guacamole and soured cream for an easy snacking spread.

Fennel

When raw, a fennel bulb, with its refreshing crunch and aniseed flavour, is perfect for salads, slaws or piling into burgers. When cooked slowly it turns buttery-soft and its aniseed flavour mellows, turning into a creamy, artichoke-like flavour. It can carry strong flavours like citrus, salty bacon, chilli and spices, and makes a wonderful warm salad when braised and served with wild rice or other grains.

Braised fennel with bacon, lemon and vermouth

When cooked slowly, fennel turns buttery soft and its aniseed flavour mellows, allowing it to carry the strong flavours of citrus and bacon in this recipe.