Simple and in Season summer round up (July entries)
August 13, 2014
This gorgeous UK summer weather seemed to stretch on and on. I can’t help but think it inspired everyone to create even more delicious things to eat as there were a phenomenal number of entries to Simple and in Season in July from bloggers in Britain and around the world. I popped into see Ren (who I’m caretaking this event for) earlier in the month for a cuddle with baby Matthew who is adorable. Her Mum showed us typical Polish hospitality and insisted we stay to eat some of the huge feast she was making for lunch. Smacznego indeed.
This collection of wonderful recipes is well worth bookmarking or pinning as a guide to summer eating.
Summer soups
Surprise turnip soup by Lancashire Food
Pea and mint soup by Leeks and Lemoni
A simple, intense tomato soup with maftoul
Watermelon gazpacho by Life in the Food Lane
Don a floppy hat and eat these in the garden, whizz one up for a light lunch or treat your friends with a stunning summer starter.
- What do you do when you find a surprise turnip in your garden? Linzi of Lancashire Food added some delicious extras (including white wine) and made turnip soup.
- Katharine from Leeks and Lemoni has also been enjoying the fruits of her garden and this pea and mint soup is vivid green and fragrant.
- Kellie, a cancer health advisor, eats luscious, ripe tomatoes like candy (we do this in our house too). She adds interest and texture to her simple, intense tomato soup with wholemeal maftoul (a giant couscous) and fresh, garden herbs.
- How cool – in every sense of the word – is a watermelon gazpacho laced with fennel, cucumber, garlic and chilli? I miss my friend Francine of Life in the Food Lane so much since she moved to Houston (and her amazing food).
Seasonal salads
Carrot and coriander salad by Hungry, healthy, happy
Watermelon, strawberry & beetroot salad by Life in the Food Lane
Tomatoes with Greek salad dressing by How to cook good food
Do you yearn for exciting and enticing salads at this time of year? I know I do and here’s some inspiration:
- “I love using seasonal produce” says Dannii of Hungry, Healthy, Happy who dishes up a crunchy, herby bowl of carrot and coriander side salad.
- A good dressing makes all the difference – I want to dive into these tomatoes with Greek salad dressing from Laura of How to Cook Good Food.
- Francine paints the salad town red with strawberry, watermelon & beetroot salad.
Light dishes and summer recipes
Wholewheat broccoli pasta on Eat your veg
Basa fillets with bacon and spinach on Maison Cupcake
Nasturtium Noquis on The Botanical Baker
- Have you ever cooked with nasturtiums? Me neither, but I’m totally intrigued by Urvashi’s enthusiasm for elevating the leaves to superfood status. Over on The Botantical Baker (how apt) they are a key ingredient in a little gnocchi from Uruguay and Brazil called Nhoque da Sorte. The full story is really interesting.
- Fish is a lovely light dish to eat during the warmer weather and Sarah from Maison Cupcake transforms basa fillets with bacon and spinach into a frugal meal that will satisfy the biggest appetites. She uses black salt too which I’d never heard of before.
- When it’s warm you don’t want to spend too long slaving over a hot stove. This is where Louisa from Eat your Veg comes up trumps with Quickie Broccoli Pasta using veg box produce.
Rocket pesto on Jibber Jabber UK
Seasonal Vegetable Pakoras by Total Salads
Garganelli pasta with courgettes pesto and prawns by My Little Italian Kitchen
Sweet Potato, Courgette and Paneer Baked Fritters from Selma’s Table
- Ness from Jibber Jabber UK recommends you use her rocket pesto on pasta, baked salmon fillets and even on burgers. Any leftovers you can freeze in ice cube trays and pop out when required.
- Thrilled that Erum of Total Salads, who also lives in Dubai, submitted this delicious recipe for seasonal vegetable pakoras. I’m sure even vegetable haters would change their minds when they’ve been dipped in chickpea flour and made into fritters.
- Pesto makes another appearance in ‘My Little Italian Kitchen where Alida stirs a courgette pesto through garganelli pasta with almonds with juicy prawns and cherry tomatoes .
- Selma from Selma’s Table makes a different kind of fritter combining sweet potato, courgette and paneer in baked fritters. Great vegetarian option at a barbecue.
Barbie-tastic Dinner on a Stick! on Eat Your Veg
Turkey and Chickpea Curry on Blue Kitchen Bakes
Cheddar and Spring Onion Courgette Fritters on I’d Much Rather Bake Than
Swiss Chard, Mushroom and Potato Frittata on Tales from the kitchen shed
Vietnamese Summer rolls on Franglais Kitchen
- Frittatas are a favourite in my kitchen and yours it seems. Sarah of Tales From a Kitchen Shed browned the top of her swiss chard, mushroom and potato frittata with a blow torch. Such a lovely picture in her flower-strewn garden.
- These Cheddar and spring onion courgette fritters are smaller and less eggy but equally tasty thanks to Laura of I’d Much Rather Bake Than…
- My Mum used to serve up hearty food on the warmest days and we wolfed it down, and that’s exactly what Jen’s “slightly veg-phobic man in his mid 30s” does with this turkey and chickpea curry (on Blue Kitchen Bakes).
- The other alternative to warm days is to head out for the barbecue – it can be a bit of afaff though. Not so when you put your
Barbie-tastic Dinner on a Stick. Such a great idea by Louisa of Eat your Veg.
- I finally found some rice paper wrappers before I left Dubai so these crab and avocado Vietnamese summer rolls on Franglais Kitchen are well and truly bookmarked. So pretty – thanks to Nazima and Pierre.
Strawberry fields forever
And if it’s summer in the UK there must be strawberries… lots of ripe juicy ones…
- I’ve never wanted to try an ice cream soda until seeing this Strawberry & Rose Ice Cream Soda by Vanesther of Bangers and Mash. How many other uses can you think of for strawberry and rose syrup?
- … how about raspberry, strawberry and rose millefuille? A summer show stopper also entered by Vanesther.
- Open my Nigella cook book at the old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe and you’ll see how much use it’s had by the smears and splats. Ros gives it a summery twist with a large helping of strawberries and honey-laced ganache with this chocolate and strawberry cake recipe.
- Grab a slice of Coconut and Strawberry Jam Loaf cake and read a childhood story about being let loose in a cake shop is by Solange on Pebble Soup.
- This beautiful pink strawberry mousse from Jasmine on Self Sufficient Cafe is made with only three ingredients and no cream.
- Shaheen of A Seasonal Veg Table tempted her niece to eat more fruit my making these magnificent strawberry cream cheese brownies.
- Giving Lucy my vote for the prettiest cake decoration with her strawberries and cream naked cake over on Supergolden bakes.
- This recipe by Lauren of Lovely for strawberry crisp had me searching for the difference between a crisp and a crumble (answer: they are very similar but both are good with custard).
Beautiful berries and more
July is the month for an abundance of other seasonal fruit too…
Apricot and bailoni tarte tatin on A Bavarian Sojourn
Blackcurrant frozen yoghurt on Searching for Spice
Giant raspberry cupcake that Caroline Makes
Gooseberry fool on Eat Your Veg
Courgette & cherry cupcakes on The Gluten Free Alchemist
Clafoutis aux Cerises on La Petite Paniere
Red gooseberry cakes on Chocolate Log Blog
Vegan gin and gooseberry jelly on Family-friends-food
- Helen of Family-friends-food loves gooseberries and gin. I’d like to meet her as I think we’d get along well. I’ve bookmarked this vegan gin and gooseberry jelly recipe to make for my daughter.
- Fresh raspberries play a starring role in this giant cupcake that Caroline Makes.
- An honest nine year old prevented Emma from shoplifting an apricot by accident. She paid for it and then went back later to buy more apricots which she baked into this glorious apricot and bailoni tarte tatin over on A Bavarian Sojourn.
- Hidden veg are teamed with delicious ripe cherries to make these courgette & cherry cupcakes (gluten free) with cherry cream cheese frosting by Kate of The Gluten Free Alchemist.
- If you are able to tear yourself away from eating all your cherries raw, a claufoutis is the next best thing in my book. Linda of La Petite Paniere has a gorgeous Clafoutis aux Cerises recipe for you to try.
- Louisa whips up a gooseberry fool in minutes on Eat Your Veg. There was a delicious fool using pink gooseberries at a recent barbecue. Divine.
- Ripe red gooseberries also pop up in the middle of these pretty little red gooseberry cakes baked by Choclette on Chocolate Log Blog.
- My childhood summer hols were spent in our garden and we trawled it for anything edible; currant bushes yielded little jewels and have a soft spot in my heart. Delighted to see blackcurrant frozen yoghurt from Corina of Searching for Spice…
- … and this simple to make rhubarb and redcurrant cheesecake by Ros of The More Than Occasional Baker.
Caramelised quince and almond cake by The Quirk and the Cool
Raspberry Cointreau tarts from The Lass in the apron.
Lemon, lavender and almond cake on Family-friends-food
Peach Streusel Kuchen Traybake on Tales From a Kitchen Shed
Frozen peach yoghurt and oatmeal on Tales from a kitchen shed
Rhubarb and redcurrant cheesecake by The More Than Occasional Baker.
Watermelon fake cake by Caroline Makes
- Quince is season in the Southern Hemisphere. I’m bookmarking this caramelised quince and almond cake for when they appear in Dubai; this recipe baked by The Quirk and the Cool for a chilly Sydney winter, is totally up my street.
- Peach Streusel Kuchen Traybake also sounds very warm and comforting – another entry from Sarah of Tales From a Kitchen Shed…
- who also produced a refreshing frozen peach yoghurt and oatmeal recipe to cool off after a curry.
- This lemon, lavender and almond cake (which is also gluten-free) would also end a meal nicely or stand alone for afternoon tea. Thank again to Helen of Family-friends-food.
- Like the sound of fresh raspberries balanced on a Cointreau custard in a chocolate shell? Me too… and you can find how to make raspberry Cointreau tarts from Alexandra – The Lass in the apron.
- ‘Caroline Makes’ something really unique – a Watermelon Fake Cake. I was expecting some carved up coloured sponge cake from the title but she produces something much more surprising, healthy, refreshing and seasonal.
And for all those barbecues (if you are in the Northern Hemisphere in July) something to drink and something to spice up your grills.
Elderflower Mint Cordial De Tout Coeur Limousin
Chipotle Chilli Sauce on How to Cook Good Food
- At the beginning of July you might still find just enough elderflower blossoms to make this aromatic Elderflower Mint Cordial submitted by Ema from De Tout Coeur Limousin. She also submitted Imam Bayildi and roasted apricots with lemon thyme recipes.
- Laura from How to Cook Good Food says that chilli sauce is like tomato sauce to her for versatility and appeal. Try her Chipotle Chilli Sauce recipe.
Chancho en Piedra on Ginger and Bread
grapefruit curd on Lavender and Lime
- Take a peep into Ginger and Bread’s garden and pick up a scrumptious recipe for Chancho en Piedra aka Chilean Tomato Salsa which you can slather on bread, crudites, burgers….
- And talking of slathering on bread, Tandy made this lovely homemade grapefruit curd which she transformed into grapefruit meringue tartlets over on Lavender and Lime.
If somehow I’ve missed you off the list email/tweet/message me immediately. It was quite a task compiling this delectable collection. If you want to enter the current round (August) it can be found over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary here.
Thanks to Ren for entrusting her precious event to my hands for a month and massive thank you to every who sent their recipes.
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My Custard Pie 
Fabulous and mouthwatering! There’s nothing better than seasonal food.
Cheers,
Rosa
I agree Rosa – thanks
Wow Sally, what a lot of delicious looking entries! Thanks so much for compiling the post – I can imagine it must have been quite the task. So much inspiration here…
It was a mouth watering task Selma
Damn, now I’m hungry! Some great ideas for the weekend ahead…
Loads of inspiration Dave
Wow Sally what an absolutely amazing round up. I love that you hosted as I got to discover lots of new blogs, too AND have a bit of a break! Thank you so much for coming to visit us in Sale, Matthew enjoyed meeting you. I can’t wait to try some of these delicious recipes and I really love the way you grouped together the entries – clever lady!! Thank you again, so much xx
It was a real pleasure to host Ren
What a tantalizing round up of Simple and In Season! Imagine if we could all get together to feast on these tasties! It would be summer picnic heaven! Thanks for letting my eyes feast on it all instead. And definitely thanks for the inclusion Sally!!!
So glad you joined in – it wouldn’t have been the same picnic heaven without you.
Thank you so much for hosting, a seasonal feast for the eyes!
Great description Shaheen
What an amazing round up and such a massive array of yummy ideas!
Isn’t it just Laura – so many delicious ideas.
Sally, everything looks absolutely delectable from “the entrée to the dessert”. You are an amazing host and I was delighted to participate. Now, so many succulent recipes to try 🙂
Thank you!
Delighted that you joined in – so many good things to try.
Wow, there are so many new blogs to explore. That post had to of been a lot of work. Thank you for putting it together for the rest of us to enjoy! I am really into fresh tomatoes right now and my hers are doing so well too!
You can’t beat tomatoes, picked with the warmth of the sun still on them. I raided my Mum’s greenhouse a lot this summer.
What a great selection of recipes, all bases covered I think! Great round up Sally, I’ve bookmarked several to come back to.
Plenty for the whole family 🙂
Such a fabulous round up. I like how you’ve grouped the entries into categories. Everything looks so delicious – I wish I could try them all!
Glad you liked it – the grouping made more sense to me …easier to refer back to.
Such a beautiful collection of summer recipes. So many here to bookmark and come back to. Thanks for being a great host!
Thanks for the lovely comment Vanesther
Brilliant post and a great roundup of really fabulous recipes using seasonal fruits and vegetables…Qudos to you Sally:))
It was a labour of love Shy – seasonal = sustainable and tastier in my book
Wow, what an amazing collection!
Thanks Tandy
Wow – what an inspiring collection of recipes! And no wonder you now have carpal tunnel syndrome after rounding up all of that 😉
Hats off to Ren for doing this every month.
Wow! What a lovely round up. It must have taken you ages.
It did indeed…. a very hungry-inducing task
So many great recipes to try before the summer ends!
So glad you joined in Erum
Mmm, I shouldn’t be looking at this on an empty stomach. Torture! Selma and Shaheen’s recipes are leaping out at me. Must. Make. Soon. Great roundup. Thanks for including my humble soup, too. You’ve done a marvellous job for Ren, Sally. I hope you are giving your fingers a rest from all that typing!
Your dishes are never humble Kellie – simple yes but worthy of the highest accolades. So glad to have one as part of the round up
Wow, what a mammoth round up ! So many recipes to keep me inspired & all from seasonal ingredients. Thanks for hosting.
Thanks Sarah – it was a pleasure
My Goodness Sally, what a packed post of the season’s best…I am really impressed with those pictures. Thank goodness I have eaten already…so much temptation here x
Glad to hear it Deena – agree the pictures are particularly mouth watering and summery.
It is all about Seasonal foods! At my blog too! A lovely tasty round-up too! I knew a lot of the bloggers but I am going to check out the others now, Sally!
Thank you! 😊
Seasonal makes sense doesn’t it Sophie – glad we are on the same wavelength
Wow!! What a delectable array of food. Scrumptious!
Thanks for dropping by Krista
You are so right about the summer this year. My friend in Cornwall tells me the weather has changed since we left, but it was glorious for our trip! It only rained twice and both times at night. Just had the most fantastic time.
Thanks for hosting! What a round-up; so many yummy things to try.
My summer pics are relentlessly sunny – I just can’t get enough of the vivid blue skies.
What an outstanding collection of recipes here . . . for sure I’m making Selma’s fritters!
They are near the top of my list too Sue
Am drooling over this post 🙂
Just love it.
So glad
🙂
your Organic section was super helpful! Couldn’t’ comment on there as the comment section is closed, just wanted ot say thank you.
Thanks Stephi – appreciate your comment (I closed comments on older articles to reduce the amount of spam I receive – sorry for inconvenience).