Food

Raita is a yogurt-based dip or sauce often used in Indian cuisine. As a general rule of thumb, what grows together goes together. This time of year, both zucchini and melon are prolific in the garden. This dish would be perfect as part of a lazy summer Sunday brunch.

These colourful, savoury pickles are the ideal combination of sweet, salty, and slightly tart. They would make a great addition to a tapas platter or tossed in a summer salad.

By replacing tomato with sweet and juicy grilled watermelon, this sandwich gets a summery kick that is sure to be a hit at your next barbecue.

The next time you’re flummoxed for a dish with flashy presentation, consider using juicy tomatoes as an edible bowl. When they’re stuffed with chicken and whole grain rice, you end up with a well-balanced meal. Don’t compost the scooped out tomato innards. Instead, use them in gazpacho or other puréed tomato soup recipes.

Ceviche is a Latin method of “cooking” seafood by letting it marinate in acidic juices. It’s important that you use only sushi grade salmon for this preparation method. Using lettuce leaves for the wraps and stuffing them with a lively salsa assures this dish is exceptionally fresh tasting.

This recipe is just the ticket for those who don’t want to put in a lot of active kitchen time but still want to turn out a dish that has looks to kill. If you please, the mozzarella can be replaced with Gruyère or other Swiss-style cheese.

This refreshing gazpacho crosses the great generation divide—pleasing adults and kids alike. Grilling the vegetables imparts a smoky flavour and makes the soup scream summer. However, you can also make it using only raw vegetables. If you can, try preparing this recipe ahead of time, as the flavours of the soup only get better after resting for a day or two in the refrigerator. When serving cold summer soups, try chilling the bowls as well.

When tomatoes are at their summer flavour peak, why open a jar of tomato sauce for pasta night? Roasting tomatoes only serves to heighten their natural sweetness. For visual appeal, try using multicoloured cherry tomatoes. Stirring the greens with the warm tomatoes and pasta will slightly wilt them, helping to make this highly textured dish even more delightful.

Grilling pineapple brings out the natural sweetness while layering in deep smoky flavour at the same time.

Fruit and cheese are a natural pairing. Sweet, summery nectarines blended with tingly fresh mint and piquant gingerspice up creamy goat cheese.

Herby chicken comes alive under a vibrant salsa with crunchy cucumber and zippy radish, the hidden gem here. Experiment with different heirloom varieties of radish, such as Purple Plum, Black Spanish, Watermelon Radish, or classic French Breakfast radish.

This dish is a study of contrasts. Light bodied, mild cucumber broth is paired with a hearty, smoky salsa to make it come alive. The avocado helps to temper the heat in the salsa.

Cold-pressed camelina oil is ideal for searing fish and its high smoke point makes it easy to use on the grill. In salsa, camelina oil keeps things light, fresh, and fragrant.

Camelina’s earthy notes complement mushrooms for simple roasting, sautéing, or in this case, a creamy, light mushroom pâté that’s a delicious hors d’oeuvre.

Cold-pressed camelina is a great alternative to shortening or butter when baking muffins or breakfast loaves. This loaf is a delicious and healthy breakfast treat, but also makes a great snack. For your next party, try serving it as a dessert alongside some Greek yogurt and maple syrup.

Cold-pressed camelina oil has a lovely snow pea or asparagus-like flavour that complements fresh garden vegetables and soups incredibly well. This soup is a great lunch item on a hot summer’s day or a great first course to any meal.

Camelina is a great light oil for dressings. It does well with balsamic or other vinegars and will not congeal at cooler temperatures. That means that you can make plenty of extra dressing that will keep well in the fridge. And by adding yogurt and mustard, you can kick a typical vinaigrette up a notch and create that creamy texture we all love.

The sweetness of the poached plums breathes new life into chicken breast. Chicken breasts can easily dry out during cooking, so poaching them is an ideal way to keep the meat pleasantly moist.

It’s chocolatey oatmeal adorned with a luscious cherry sauce. Is there a better way to start the day? Soaking steel-cut oats overnight cuts down significantly on their cooking time come morning. The cherry sauce can also be prepared in advance and reheated as needed. It’s also delicious served over yogurt.

Here’s a highly textured main course salad that screams summer. If desired, you can swap out the peaches for nectarines, goat cheese for feta, or pistachios for almonds. Also consider topping the salad with generous amounts of microgreens. If possible, look for canned chickpeas with no salt added.

Sweet sun-kissed apricots are a wonderful counterpoint to the earthy elements of the shrimp and fibre-packed beans in these tacos. Plain Greek yogurt would be a good alternative to the sour cream in the avocado sauce. You can also top the tacos with some tender greens, if desired.

This no-bake version of a dessert classic makes use of spelt flakes, which are made by passing the nutrient rich whole grains through a roller to flatten them. But you can also use rolled oats or gluten-free quinoa flakes. Whipping up frozen bananas into an ice cream consistency is a tasty way to keep your cool this summer.

Serves 4

Crafting your own mustard is far from a high-flying kitchen feat. Just grab some mustard seeds and good quality dark ale. Want more heat? Use more brown mustard seeds than yellow ones.