Eat Seasonably in August

Lettuce can often start to bolt during a hot August, but it’s still wonderful to add to pretty much any meal. If you’ve got a surplus, or the selection in your fridge is past its best, blitz it and add potatoes, cucumber and fresh herbs for a cooling summer soup. If tomatoes are more your glut of choice, try something similar and cook up a gazpacho.

Raspberries are best enjoyed freshly picked from the plant, but you can also preserve them in a number of different ways. Try adding to the juice of lemons to create a cordial or lemonade, or whip up a raspberry vinegar to add to salads in the winter. Or just keep things simple, and freeze ready to make smoothies and desserts later in the year.

The season is short, but if you can get your hands on fresh sweetcorn, it’s a delight and makes such a simple supper dish when served with lashings of butter and slices of crusty bread. To make more of a dinner party dish, add a side of peeled courgettes fried up with lemon juice.