Britain's best food writer makes the most of summer with five of his favourite seasonal recipes

The summer seems endless. The late spring meant that our homegrown fruit and vegetables took a while to show their faces but they have quickly caught up. Right now the market stalls and allotments are offering up an endless stream of fresh produce for our delight. Here is a mixture of main-course salads, side dishes and desserts for high summer.

Baked peppers with a summer sauce

SERVES 2-4 AS A SIDE DISH

large peppers 4

olive oil

For the basil dressing:

basil leaves a couple of good handfuls

oregano leaves a small handful

mint leaves a small handful

garlic 1 plump clove, peeled

extra-virgin olive oil about 150ml

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Cut the peppers in half, tug out the seeds and cores and lay cut-side up in a baking tin. Trickle a little olive oil over them then bake until the skins have blackened. Remove from the oven and cover with a tea towel or clingfilm. (The steam this creates will make it easier to remove the skins of the pepper.)

Put the basil leaves into a blender or food processor together with the oregano and mint, the peeled clove of garlic and the olive oil. Add a good pinch of sea salt and mix till almost smooth.

Peel the skins of the peppers and put them on a plate. Trickle the herb sauce around them and serve warm.

Broad beans with gorgonzola

SERVES 2 WITH BREAD AS A LIGHT LUNCH

young broad beans in their pods 250g

olive oil 5 tbsp

water 250ml

mint 4 lush sprigs

For the dressing:

Gorgonzola or other soft blue cheese 90g

natural yoghurt 200g

mint leaves 6-8, finely shredded

Wash the beans then cut off their tough stalks. Put the beans into a shallow pan, to which you have a lid, with the olive oil, water and a good grinding of sea salt. Tuck in the mint sprigs. Don't worry if the beans are sitting proud of the liquid, they will cook in the steam.

Bring the pan to the boil, then turn down the heat so the beans simmer gently, and cover with a lid. Leave, bar the occasional stir, for about 15 minutes. Check them for tenderness. Turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.

To make the dressing, crumble the cheese into the yoghurt, and add the finely shredded mint leaves. No salt, but you could add some black pepper. Serve the beans warm with dollops of the yoghurt and crusty bread, drizzling with the pan juices.



Blueberry batter pudding

SERVES 4

eggs 4

plain flour 75g

caster sugar 80-90g

single cream 250ml

full cream milk 225ml

blueberries 300g

icing sugar and cream to serve

You will need an ovenproof dish about 25cm in diameter and a little butter for greasing it with. Butter the dish. Whizz all the ingredients except the fruit in a blender or food processor, or beat together with a hand-held whisk.

Tip the fruit into the dish, pour over the batter, then bake in a preheated oven at 200C/gas mark 6 for about 40-50 minutes, till the batter is lightly risen, golden and lightly firm to the touch. If the surface seems to be browning too much then cover for the last 10 minutes or so with kitchen foil. Leave in the switched-off oven for 10 minutes. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Cherry mascarpone tart

SERVES 8-10

For the base:

butter 75g

lemon, orange or ginger biscuits 375g, crushed to fine crumbs

For the filling:

egg yolk 1 large

golden caster sugar 3 tbsp

mascarpone 500g

vanilla extract a few drops

a little grated orange zest

a little redcurrant jelly for glaze

cherries 450g

You will need a shallow, loose-bottomed tart tin, about 22cm in diameter. To make the crumb base, melt the butter in a small pan then stir the crushed biscuit crumbs into the butter. Tip the crumbs into the tin and push them out over the base and up the sides. Set in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, put the egg yolk into the bowl of a food mixer with the sugar and beat till smooth, then mix in the mascarpone, a drop or two of vanilla extract and a teaspoon or so of grated orange zest. Scoop the filling into the tart case and chill for 30 minutes. Stalk and stone the cherries. Warm the jelly in small saucepan and brush over the cherries.

Apricot couscous salad

SERVES 4

For the couscous:

giant couscous 150g

hot vegetable stock (water at a push) about 300ml

harissa paste 2 tsp

olive oil 2 tbsp, plus a little extra

parsley a small bunch

onions 2

butter a thick slice

green cardamom pods 5

garlic a clove

lemon juice and finely grated zest

ripe apricots 250g

To prepare the couscous, bring the stock or water to the boil in a good-sized saucepan, then pour in the couscous. Bring back to the boil then salt the liquid generously, as you might for pasta. Simmer for 9-10 minutes until tender but still with a bit of bite. Drain in a colander and run cold water through it to cool it quickly. Tip into a bowl and toss gently with a few drops of olive oil to stop it sticking together.

While the couscous is cooking, make the apricot seasoning. Peel the onions, dice finely and cook in butter with lightly crushed cardamom pods, till soft and pale. Peel and slice the garlic and stir into the onion. Add the lemon zest. Halve and stone the apricots, add to the onions and set aside.

Stir the warm apricot mixture into the cooling couscous. Stir in the lemon juice. Put the harissa paste in a small bowl, stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil then fold gently into the apricots and couscous. Remove the leaves from the parsley, roughly chop them then fold into the couscous.

nigel.slater@observer.co.uk