vii #39: 7 seasonal foods for July

July is peak summer. We’ve recently enjoyed the longest day of the year and there is more amazing produce than I know what to do with!

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I can very easily become singularly focused on tomatoes at this time of year. Once upon a time I didn’t like raw tomatoes (this was the same time in my life where I shunned olives and mushrooms too) and I think it had something to do with the textural sensation of biting into a cherry tomato and it erupting inside your mouth. What I hadn’t appreciated in my youth is the unparalleled joy of well-salted, sliced heirloom tomatoes.

For anyone that doesn’t notice the difference between premium ingredients and the cheaper alternatives, I beg you to try Isle of Wight tomatoes and tell me you can’t set them apart from their supermarket counterparts. It’s become a ritual to order several kilograms at the end of the summer to enjoy the last of the season and slow cook batches of tomato sauce for the freezer.

But if I remove my blinkers, it’s not solely about tomatoes. It’s the end of the very short gooseberry season, berries are abundant and vegetables compete to be your pick of the bunch.

It wouldn’t be a seasonal focus without Emma Cantlay’s beautiful illustrations highlighting the best of the month’s produce for July.

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This month’s recipe could easily be a single line: to salt your tomatoes generously and bathe them liberally in the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar that your bank account can stretch to. That however feels like somewhat of a cop out. So instead I bring you a delicious summer dessert, perfect in case there’s another heatwave lurking.

6 nectarines
180g Greek yoghurt
1tbsp orange zest
2tbsps maple syrup

1. Stone, peel and chop the nectarines to yield 500g flesh in small pieces and freeze overnight until solid.

2. Add the frozen nectarines to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the Greek yoghurt, orange zest and maple syrup and continue to blitz. Scrape down the food processor as needed. Transfer to a container and place into the freezer until ready to serve.

3. Serving suggestion: serve griddled halves of your favourite stoned fruit with a scoop of nectarine frozen yoghurt and a scattering of granola.

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For further summery inspiration, check out the following recipes:

Yotam Ottolenghi’s hot charred cherry tomatoes with cold yoghurt

Rosie Birkett’s courgette and broad beans risotto with basil pesto

Alisa Burt’s sticky miso aubergine traybake

Esther Clark’s feta and peach couscous

Nicola Lamb’s roasted strawberry brioche tart

Janine Ratcliffe’s frozen strawberry lemonade

Nicola Lamb’s kitchen projects for summer

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