Cook with the season

Make the most of June’s seasonal ingredients

Recipes ADAM BUSH
Photographs YUKI SUGIURA

Nectarines

Nectarines are a smooth-skinned, round stone fruit. Red on the outside with creamy yellow flesh, they are related to peaches, with a similar floral and sweet flavour. When ripe they’ll have a wonderful scent and will be slightly soft when squeezed.

Nectarine almond crumble

1 HOUR | SERVES 4 | EASY

nectarines 6 ripe, stoned and chopped

cornflour 1 tbsp

caster sugar 100g

amaretto (we used Disaronno) 75ml

plain flour 100g

unsalted butter 75g, softened

flaked almonds 50g

custard to serve

1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Toss the nectarine pieces with the cornflour, 50g of the sugar and the amaretto, and tip into a 30cm x 20cm baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until just beginning to soften.

2 Put the plain flour and butter in a bowl, and use your fingertips to rub together to make breadcrumbs. Add the almonds and remaining sugar, and mix well. Scatter the crumble topping over the nectarines and bake for 30 minutes until golden on top. Serve with custard.

Courgettes

Courgettes are from the same family as cucumbers, squashes and melons. Look out for smooth, unblemished skin when buying.

Harissa lamb-stuffed courgettes

1 HOUR 20 MINUTES | SERVES 2 | EASY | GF

courgettes 4 medium

olive oil 2 tbsp

lamb mince 500g

garlic 4 cloves, finely chopped

cumin seeds 1 tbsp

rose harissa 3 tbsp

chopped tomatoes 2x 400g tins

flat-leaf parsley a small bunch

feta 100g, crumbled

crusty bread to serve

1 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a ½cm-thick shell. Finely chop all of the flesh.

2 Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and cook the lamb mince and courgette flesh for 5-6 minutes or until crisping up, then add the garlic and cumin, and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp of the harissa and remove from the heat.

3 Tip the chopped tomatoes into a large baking dish, season and stir in the remaining harissa. Nestle the courgettes shells into the sauce and spoon the lamb mince into the cavities of each. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes until the courgettes are tender and the sauce reduced.

4 Scatter over the parsley and feta, and serve with crusty bread, if you like.

Lettuce

Lettuces are from the daisy family and are grown for their leaves. You’ll recognise Iceburg, Little Gem, Butterhead and Romaine from supermarkets. Look for bright, fresh leaves that look like they’ve just been pulled from the ground.

Charred lettuce with ranch dressing and bacon bits

25 MINUTES | SERVES 4 AS A SIDE | EASY | GF

streaky bacon 6 rashers

Little Gem lettuces 4, quartered

olive oil 2 tbsp

chives a handful, finely chopped

RANCH DRESSING

mayonnaise 50g

buttermilk 100ml

garlic granules 1 tsp

onion granules 1 tsp

dijon mustard 1 tsp

chives a few, finely chopped

lemon ½, juiced

1 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the bacon onto a baking tray and roast for 16-18 minutes or until really crisp. Cool and roughly chop.

2 Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the cut sides of the lettuce with oil and season lightly. Cook the lettuce for 1-2 minutes on each of the cut sides until charred. Arrange on a platter.

3 For the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients with a little seasoning.

4 Spoon the dressing over the charred lettuce, then sprinkle over the bacon bits and chives.

Tarragon

Tarragon is a leafy, soft herb that grows in spring and summer. It has a strong aniseed and liquorice flavour, and is commonly used in classic French dishes such as béarnaise sauce.

Tarragon butter chicken

1 HOUR 20 MINUTES + BRINING | SERVES 4 | EASY | GF

whole chicken 1.5kg

coriander seeds 2 tsp

whole black peppercorns 2 tsp

bay leaves 2

lemon 1, a strip of zest, plus½ zested, plus a squeeze of juice

soft light brown sugar 2 tbsp

garlic a bulb, top removed to reveal the cloves

olive oil unsalted butter 200g

tarragon a bunch, finely chopped

1 Remove the legs of the chicken by cutting down either side of the breast through the skin, popping the thigh joint through and cutting around to separate it from the bird. Put the legs into a large bowl.

2 Use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors to remove the spine of the chicken, leaving you with the breasts on the bone with the wings attached. Add this to the bowl with the legs.

3 Toast the coriander seeds and peppercorns in a pan for a few minutes over a medium heat until fragrant, then add the bay leaves, a strip of lemon zest, 70g of fine sea salt and the sugar, along with 250ml of water. Simmer for 1 minute until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in 750ml of cold water. Leave to cool completely, then pour over the chicken, ensuring the breast is skin-side down into the brine. Cover and chill for 8 hours or so.

4 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the garlic bulb into a piece of tin foil, drizzle with a little oil and season. Wrap and bake for 40 minutes until meltingly soft.

5 Drain the chicken from the brine and pat really dry with kitchen paper. Drizzle the legs with a little oil and season lightly, then roast for 30 minutes.

6 Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken crown, skin-side down, for 5-6 minutes or until deeply golden. After 30 minutes add the crown to the oven tray with the legs, skin-side up, and roast for a further 30 minutes. The thickest part of the breast should read 70C on a digital thermometer and the juices run clear.

7 Meanwhile, make the tarragon butter. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a bowl, add the butter, tarragon, remaining lemon zest and juice, and season well. Mash together until evenly combined.

8 Remove the chicken from the oven and smear the breast and legs with all of the butter. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

9 To serve, divide the leg into two pieces through the drum and thigh, remove the wings, then remove the breasts and slice. Put everything onto a platter, then spoon over the butter and chicken resting juices from the tray.

Tarragon ice cream

You will need an ice cream machine for this recipe.

30 MINUTES + COOLING + CHILLING + FREEZING MAKES 500ML | EASY | GF

whole milk 200ml

double cream 400ml

egg yolks 6 (use the whites for meringues or cocktails)

caster sugar 150g

tarragon 40g

1 Gently heat the milk and cream in a pan over a low heat, stirring every now and again, until nearly simmering. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks into a bowl with the sugar and whisk briefly until slightly lightened.

2 Pour over a little of the hot creamy milk and whisk to combine, then add the rest in a slow, steady stream while whisking. Pour everything back into the pan and cook very gently while scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, for 10-15 minutes, stirring all the time, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

3 Put the tarragon into a blender and set a fine sieve over a bowl or container. Pour the custard into the blender and whizz until smooth and bright green. Pour into the container through the sieve. Leave to cool at room temperature, then pour into an ice cream maker and churn until frozen, then freeze completely.

Love your leftovers

Make the most of a glut of seasonal produce with a few clever ideas to use it all up.

Lettuce salsa verde

Put any left-over lettuce in a food processor along with capers, lemon zest and juice, flat-leaf parsley, dijon mustard, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some seasoning, and whizz until smooth. Serve with roast lamb.

Tarragon strawberries

Toss quartered strawberries with a little caster sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of finely chopped tarragon. Toss well and leave to macerate for 20 minutes, then serve with cream or ice cream.

Peeled courgette salad

Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to peel several courgettes into long, thin strips. Whisk together a few tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a small crushed garlic clove, finely chopped red chilli and a little seasoning. Mix the dressing with the courgettes and serve on a platter with a handful of mint leaves scattered over.

Nectarine salsa

Toss some chopped nectarines with a thinly sliced long shallot, diced red chilli, plenty of chopped coriander and a few juiced limes. Serve with a steak, corn on the cob and chips, if you like.

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