What’s In Season This July?

July is a great month for seasonal produce in the UK, with an abundance of fruit and veggies at their best around this time of year. It’s the month for big, colourful salads to pair with BBQs; light, berry desserts and refreshing cocktails – all ideally enjoyed al fresco. Here our plant-based columnist Bettina Campolucci Bordi shares her top tips for seasonal eating in summer, plus a courgette flowers recipe. Read on for a guide to what’s in season in July.

UK Seasonal Food Calendar: What’s In Season This July?

Here in London, we are waking up to a very wet July day (yes, there have been a few of those lately). I still have hope that we are making our way into warmer times and a late warm summer in August. I for one need the warmth and good vibes that good weather brings with it. On that note, let’s get back to food. With the hope of some sunshine, some al fresco dining is on the horizon and tons of lovely produce – let’s chat through what is in season this July and what to make of it all. 

Summer cooking is about assembling peak summer ingredients with some good olive oil, tasty flavours and lots of fresh herbs. It is about spotlighting seasonal, tasty vegetables and fruits while they are at their very best.

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From berries to courgettes to tomatoes, the longer, sunnier days (fingers crossed we get them soon!) create an abundance of fresh produce. It’s a highlight in a gardener’s calendar for farm to table eating, although there are also plenty of opportunities for shopping British grown in supermarkets and farmers’ markets if you don’t have a garden. 

My favourite activity during the summer is to gather flowers to arrange in a jug or vase indoors. Tomatoes and courgettes are flowering and are some of my favourite ingredients to cook with, especially stuffed courgette flowers with truffle cashew cheese or other delicious alternatives. 

There’s nothing quite like the smell of strawberries and that first taste after picking a ripened handful. Lettuce leaves are also in season in July. I am currently growing some indoors, along with tomato plants perfect for refreshing, crisp summer salads. It’s also pea season in the UK and berries and cherries are ripening, along with raspberries. Living seasonally is about making the most of the here and now. One of my favourite things to do is walk home from the farmers’ market with punnets of berries that you eat straight away – there is no point in saving them for a special occasion. 

I urge you to live a little slower, enjoy moments in the garden or outdoors when the sun is out and savour every mouthful of fresh seasonal ingredients with a tipple or two amongst good friends. There is nothing quite like it

Seasonal Foods To Eat This July

Fruit:

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Figs
• Peaches
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes

Vegetables:

• Aubergines
• Broad beans
• Courgettes
• Cucumbers
• Pak choi
• Peas
• Peppers
• Spinach
• Summer squash

Recipe: Macadamia Nut Cheese-Filled Courgette Flowers

This has become such a classic. I love cooking these filled flowers for events or dinner parties. Courgette (zucchini) flowers are stunning and make the perfect vessels for a variety of delicious fillings.

Note: You will need to make the garlic and herb macadamia cheese (see below) for this recipe the day before. Alternatively use feta.

Ingredients:

• 8 courgette (zucchini) flowers
• 1 batch of garlic and herb macadamia cheese (see below) – or use feta
• Olive oil for frying

For the batter

• 50g (2 oz/1⁄3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
• 35 g (11⁄4 oz/1⁄4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour or rice flour, for a gluten-free version
• 2 tablespoons chickpea (gram) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 120 ml (4 fl oz/1⁄2 cup) sparkling water

To serve

• Spring greens
• Lemon-flavoured mayonnaise
• Snipped chives

Method:

1. Put the cheese mixture in a piping (pastry) bag, fill the courgette flowers two-thirds full and gently twist the tops to close them up.
2. Once the flowers have been filled, make the batter by mixing all the ingredients together.
3. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Gently dip the courgette flowers in the batter and then shallow-fry over a medium heat until browned. Make sure you fry off each side of the flowers until they are nice and crispy.
4. Once fried, place the flowers on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil and serve immediately with some spring greens and a lemon-flavoured mayonnaise with a few snipped chives stirred in.

Garlic and Herb Macadamia Cheese

Ingredients:

• 280g (10 oz) macadamia nuts
• 160ml (51⁄2 fl oz/2⁄3 cup) water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice and
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Prepare the macadamia nuts by soaking them in a bowl of water for 2 hours – or even better do this the night before.
2. Drain the nuts and tip into a food processor or blender along with the water and blitz until smooth. (If you are using a small, hand-held blender, then blitz several times until
3. smooth.) As this is a soft cheese the texture can be slightly bitty, which I personally love. If you are using a high-speed blender, make sure you don’t overheat or overblend. You want the texture to be ricotta-like.
4. Once the nuts are blended, transfer to a clean glass container. Now it’s time to flavour the cheese. Add the lemon juice and zest,chives, garlic, and salt and pepper, then mix well. Use a metal chef’s ring for this next step, if you have one.
5. Alternatively, you can use a small bowl lined with cling film (plastic wrap). If you’re using a chef’s ring, place some greaseproof (waxed) paper under the ring and grease the inside with some oil. Fill the chef’s ring or the bowl to the top with the cheese mixture.
6. Keep the cheese in the fridge for a few hours to set and let the flavours marry together.
7. Once chilled, pop the chef’s ring off (if using) or remove the cheese from the bowl, and serve with some fresh baguette, French-style, or lovely sourdough, plus some chutney.
8. The cheese will keep for up to seven days in the fridge.

Find out more about Bettina at bettinaskitchen.com