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From Times Online

August 12, 2008

Seasonal food recipe finder: August

It's the peak of summer with everything growing in abundance, but it's a good time to stock up for winter

Nick Wyke

This month's newcomers...

Plums, greengages, sweetcorn, blackberries, early damsons, crayfish, red grouse, hare

Still in season: Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, french beans, garlic, lamb, new potatoes, onions, pak choi, peas, rabbit, radishes, rocket, runner beans, sorrel, spring onions, turnips, watercress ; apricots, blueberries, cherries (English), gooseberries, loganberries, peaches, raspberries, redcurrants

Editor's pick of seasonal recipes: Grouse breast salad with raspberry vinaigrette ; The perfect ratatouille ; Sweetcorn blinis with aubergine and tomato ; Hare in Ale with Saffron ; Crayfish Salad ; Greengage and almond tart ; Roasted Apricot and Orange Marmalade Ice-cream; Blueberry and redcurrant Eton mess ; Plum and Cinnamon Brulees ; Redcurrant and blackberry smash

SEASONAL VIDEO: watch Ching-He Huang cook coriander prawns with green tea and samphire

VEGETABLES

Artichoke Harissa lamb with couscous and artichokes ; Spinach and artichoke gratin ; Artichoke soup ; Lamb and artichoke skewers ; Artichoke, beetroot and potato salad ; Stuffed Artichokes ; Artichoke and asparagus 'mimosa' ; Parma Ham and Artichoke Frittata

Aubergine Cumin lamb and aubergine stew ; Lamb stew with aubergine and saffron tomatoes ; Seared tuna with roast aubergine salad with Asian dressing ; Almost moussaka ; The perfect ratatouille ; Sweetcorn blinis with aubergine and tomato ;
Aubergine, goat's cheese and cherry tomato stacks ; Mackerel and aubergine bruschetta, with pimento and tomato salsa ; Melanzane alla parmigiana ; Spicy aubergine pot (Qie zi bao) ; Aubergine wraps ; Baked Chicken with Aubergine, Courgette and Tomato

Beetroot Smoked eel with celeriac, beetroot and horseradish remoulade ; Warm beetroot, watercress and grilled goat’s cheese salad ; Salad of roasted baby beets with balsamic dressing ; Candied beetroot with feta and dill

Broad beans Broad bean, pecorino and coppa salad ; Pea and broad bean risotto ; Broad bean and rocket brushetta ; Cooking with broad beans, chick peas and rice ; Thyme spring chicken with broad beans and ham ; Pork and mint meatballs with creamed broad beans ; Chicken fricassee with peas and broad beans ; Broad bean thoran ; Baby Pea, Broad bean and Courgette Salad with Pancetta a La Grecque ; Broad bean and mint salad ; Pea, broad bean and mint dip ; Roast monkfish with broad beans and pancetta

Courgettes Courgette, lemon and mint risotto with mascarpone ; Courgette, queso fresco and basil omelette ; Courgettes with vinegar and mint ; Zucchini ripieni ; Baby Pea, Broad bean and Courgette Salad with Pancetta a La Grecque ; Courgette and red pepper salad ; Stuffed courgette rolls

Cucumber Cucumber and salmon canapes ; Cucumber and minted peas ; Venison kofte with cucumber raita ; Prawn laksa with cucumber ; Salmon rissoles with creamed cucumber and dill ; Chilled cucumber and dill soup ; Seared sesame tuna on a cucumber, bean sprouts and mint salad with Asian cress ; Chilled gazpacho with cucumber pearls ; Chilled cucumber soup

Elderflowers Sparkling elderflower and grape jelly ; Home-made elderflower and lemon jelly ; Elderflower and strawberry jellies ; Gooseberry and Elderflower sorbet

Fennel Dinner Tonight: Fennel Provençale with penne ; Fennel and manzanilla monkfish with couscous and salsa verde ; Smoked haddock and fennel carpaccio ; Endive and fennel salad with mint and orange-blossom dressing ; Fennel and Smoked Salmon Salad ; Pork and fennel souvlaki in pitta with rocket and red onion ; Fennel soup with spicy merguez sausage ; Turbot fillets with fennel and lemon ; Radicchio, fennel and figs ; Lamb with wild fennel and tomatoes ; Braised Fennel ; Brown trout baked with fennel

Jersey Royal new potatoes Jersey Royals with gremolata ; Crash-hot Jerseys ; Jersey royal and crab salad ; Small new potatoes with caviar and chives ; Rocket and potato salad with dill gremolata and sardine crostini

Mint Beetroot, blood orange and mint salad ; Melon with mint and lime ; Pineapple ravioli with iced mango and mint ; Courgette, lemon and mint risotto with mascarpone

Pak choi Char siu pork on steamed pak choy and sweet orange sauce ; Stir-fried sesame soy greens ;

Parsley Gremolata ; Pan-fried fish with gremolata ; Salsa verde

Peas Pea and broad bean risotto ; Pea, romaine and feta salad ; Pea and basil soup ; Pea shoots and leaves ; Salmon with pea purée and mint vinaigrette ; Rice with peas and pancetta ; Pea and mint mushy peas with sole goujons ; Avocado and pea soup with crispy Parma ham ; Peas with a twist ; Oven-Baked Pea and Basmati Pilaff ; Pea, yoghurt and mint soup ; Pea and ham soup

Rocket Rocket, basil, mint and parsley soup ; Beef carpaccio with rocket ; Rocket cocktail

Rosemary Rosemary lemon chicken ; Rosemary-braised carrots ; Lemon and rosemary popsicles ; Risotto with rosemary and parsley ; Lemon and rosemary ice-cream ; Red onion and rosemary farinate ; Rosemary shortbread

Samphire Hake in agrodolce with samphire

Sorrel Warm roasted vegetable salad

Spinach Spinach with pine nuts and raisins ; Spinach fiorelli with gammon and mascarpone ; Spiced spinach-stuffed lamb ; Spinach tart with bacon and feta ; Simple spinach and lentil curry ; Sesame spinach ; Smoked Haddock, Baby Spinach, Cashel Blue and Egg Pizza ; Spinach tempered with cumin and garlic ; Spinach, pancetta and dolcelatte tart ; Chickpeas, spinach and bacon ; Spinach with lemon and parmesan ; Barley and spinach risotto ; Spinach chana dal ; Spinach and feta pie ; Spinach and fennel soup

Sweetcorn Sweetcorn fritters with creamy rocket pesto ; Mexican Cornbread ; Bortsch with sweetcorn, ginger and orange ; Scallops with sweetcorn puree and quail’s eggs ; Sweetcorn blinis with aubergine and tomato ; Fried sweetcorn cakes with sweet chilli sauce ; Roast partridge with sweetcorn potato cakes ; Roasted chilli sweetcorn ; Sweetcorn risotto with bacon

Watercress Watercress and potato soup ; Chicken, potato and watercress salad ; Watercress, red chard and mint salad ;

FRUIT

Apricots Yoghurt with cardamom apricots ; Pork loin stuffed with apricot, pistachios and cumin ; Saffron chicken with apricots and cardamom ; Warm spiced autumn fruit compote, with roasted nuts ; Goat's cheese and apricot tarts ; Apricot rose-water cobbler ; Apricot tart ; Roasted Apricot and Orange Marmalade Ice-cream ; Rhubarb, apricot and ginger Chutney

Blackberries Venison with blackberry sauce, smoked onion purée and onion rings ; Redcurrant and blackberry smash ; Blackberry upside-down cake ; Stem ginger and blackberry pudding ; Loin of Venison with Blackberry Sauce ; Blackberry Tart with Lemon Mascarpone and Crystallised Basil ; Blackberry Parfait ; Blackberry Tart with Lemon Mascarpone and Crystallised Basil

Blueberries Warm blueberry muffins ; Blueberry and redcurrant Eton mess ; Blueberry lollies ; Blueberry couscous

Cherries Sweet saffron yoghurt with cherries - shrikand ; Cherry Clafoutis with Salted Almond Ice-cream ; Salad of poached cherries, goat’s cheese, roasted red onions, Parma ham and toasted hazelnuts ; Black Forest gâteau ; Redcurrant, Whitecurrant and Cherry fool ; Seared Duck Breasts with Cherry Sauce

Gooseberries Griddled mackerel with gooseberry and elderflower sauce ; Gooseberry and Elderflower sorbet ; Crunchy gooseberry fool

Greengages Greengage and almond tart

Peaches Peach purée with crema catalana ; Peaches and Butterscotch sauce ; Oriental peach and chicken salad ; Peach Melba ; Peach and champagne soup ; Grilled peaches with peppered crème fraîche ; Rosy-cheeked peaches with basil ; Peach Bellini jelly ; White Peach and Crab Salad ; Breast of Duck with Peach Compote ; White Peach and Champagne soup

Plums Plum and Almond Sponge Pudding ; Plum and Cinnamon Brulees ; Plum and Rum Souffle Omelette ; Plum and Frangipane Tart ; Plum and kumquat compote ; German plum cake ; Plums baked in wine ; Plum and star-anise ripple ; Plum Clafoutis ; Victoria Plum Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Ice-Cream ; Simple plum tarts

Raspberries Stichelton with fresh raspberry jam ; Champagne and raspberry gratin ; Raspberry compote with tarragon cream ; Raspberry and rosemary sorbet with rose wine ; Salad of Roast Quail with Raspberry and Walnut Dressing ; Apple, Raspberry and Ginger compote with lime mascarpone ; Raspberry and Strawberry Soufflé

Strawberries Warm strawberry jelly with elderflower and strawberry sauce ; Summer strawberry salad with champagne granita ; Strawberry pavlova ; Strawberry coulis ; Strawberries with rosewater cream ; Strawberry lassi ; Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble ; Strawberry Soup ; Strawberry sundae ; Basil Sorbet with Strawberry and Peach Salad ; Strawberry tart with mascarpone ; Strawberry ice lollies ; Strawberries and Shortbread ; Raspberry and Strawberry Soufflé ; Strawberry and Red Pepper Sorbet ; Strawberry cake ; Strawberry milkshakes and muffins ; Strawberry and mint salad with champagne granita ; Eton mess ; Prosciutto with mozzarella and strawberries

MEAT

Grouse Honey-roast grouse with apples, cinnamon and cider ; Grouse breast salad with raspberry vinaigrette ; Grouse casserole with red wine, borlotti beans and juniper

Hare Hare in Ale with Saffron

Lamb Saddle of lamb stuffed spinach ; Lamb brochettes ; Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Garlic, Feta and Herbs ; Greek lamb and tomato casserole with fennel ; Lancashire hotpot ; Grilled lamb with white beans and mint ; Lamb chops with rosemary beans

FISH AND SEAFOOD

Crab Crab toasties ; Hot potted crab sandwiches ; Crab Salad Sandwich ; Classic dressed crab ; Crab salad with passionfruit dressing ; Crab spaghettini ; Cucumber Gazpacho with Crab Mayonnaise on Sourdough Toasts ; White Peach and Crab Salad ; Crab pie ; Crab mayonnaise in iceberg wraps ; Potted Cromer Crab ; Crab gratin ; Crab brushetta ; Crab risotto ; Sweetcorn and crab soup ; Tagliolini with crab and lemon

Crayfish Crayfish or prawn étouffée ; Crayfish cocktail ; Crayfish Salad ; Crayfish Tails with Lemon Thyme Mayonnaise ; Crayfish Bisque

Herring Herring roes ; Herring with herby potatoes ; Pan-fried Herring ; Salade Lyonnaise

John Dory Shallow-fried John Dory with Ratatouille ; John dory pan-fried with green spice paste

Mackerel Atul’s cured mackerel ; Toasted smoked mackerel and horseradish sandwich with watercress and apple salad ; Smoked mackerel pâte ; Mackerel and confit potato in aubergine cups ; Honey-soused Mackerel ; Griddled mackerel with gooseberry and elderflower sauce ; Soused mackerel sushi-style ; Mackerel and aubergine bruschetta, with pimento and tomato salsa ; Smoked mackerel and spinach tart ; Grilled mackerel with tomato and beetroot salad ; Escabeche of Mackerel ;
Barbecued Whole Mackerel ; Mackerel in oatmeal with chive mayonnaise ; Mackerel rillettes

Salmon Salmon and coriander fish cakes ; Cumin salmon with green bean raita ; Grilled salmon with pear salsa ; Fennel and Smoked Salmon Salad ; Seared salmon with shallot and white wine sauce ; Oven-roasted salmon with red cabbage and beetroot ; Salmon baked with herbs and caramelised lemons ; Salmon, bacon and wilted sprout tops ; Salad niçoise with seared salmon

Sardines Stuffed sardines with watercress, beetroot and orange salad ; Sardines on Toast with Hot New Potato Salad ; Fried sardines ; Sardines Beccafico

Sea trout Poached Sea Trout with Gewürztraminer Sauce ; Wild sea trout and baby leeks with crushed potato and tomato butter ; Smoked trout kedgeree

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If you have real Vermont maple syrup on hand a delicious way to treat any type of squash is to cut it up and bake it in a moderate oven on a foil-covered sheet, basting occasionally with the syrup until the squash is done to your own taste. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

H. Egan, Los Angeles, USA

A problem with many of the 'economical' and green, healthier recipes being put forward from a variety of sources is that many require long periods of oven cooking. The cost of fuel for this method of cooking will increase the fuel bills of poorer and smaller families disproportionately.

david, boston , UK

Rowans; for jelly with grouse,game, mutton etc

N Smith, Hartfield, England

Kale? Not unless the frost has been over it, which is quite unlikely in September.

Chanterelles should be in season soon. They're gorgeous, but I can't find them anywhere in the British shops!

M. R., Stockport,

This is superb, shows the depth available. The most difficult part is then supporting UK farmers, without sacrificing the quality. At The Kitchen in Parsons Green, I have lots of arguments over location of produce, our mixed salad is from Italy, but it's the best in the world (visitthekitchen.com)

Thierry Laborde, Parsons Green London, UK