July

Seasonal produce truly shines this time of year. Soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries can bring bursts of sweetness to everything from salads to desserts. There are plenty of delicious veggies to be enjoyed too, perfect for light summer meals.

 By choosing local, you’re not just benefiting the environment, but also supporting your community and enjoying fresher, tastier produce. It’s a win-win!

Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, chervil, chillies, cherries, chives, coriander, courgettes, dill, elderflower, fennel, french beans, garlic, gooseberries, greengages, jersey royal new potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, mint, nasturtium, new potatoes, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles.

Strawberries

  • Store in the fridge, take them out an hour before eating, so that they're room temperature.

  • Don’t wash or hull strawberries before putting them into the fridge as they'll go soggy.

  • Freeze strawberries if you have a glut – they are perfect for smoothies, compotes and jams and desserts. BBC Good food have a yummy strawberry jam.

Straw berries taste delicious on their own with a little cream, but they also work really well in these yoghurt fruit ice lollies or this classic summer pudding. If you have an abundance of strawberries, why not give this easy strawberry jam a try.

Aubergine

  • When buying these fabulous vegetables, look out for firm, smooth, glossy aubergines with bright green stalks. A fresh aubergine should also feel fairly heavy.

  • Recipes often asked for the aubergines to be salted before cooking to reduce their bitterness, modern varieties are less bitter, so this is no longer needed unless frying them – aubergines soak up oil and salting helps reduce that.

Aubergines are great for absorbing flavours which makes them perfect for ratatouille and this vegetarian moussaka.

Salad and lettuce

  • Make your salad leaves last longer by putting them into an airtight container (or zip lock bag) with a paper towel then store in the fridge.

  • You can revive wilted salad leaves by submerging them in cold water for 30 minutes.

Fattoush is a delicious salad full of colour and freshness that also uses up lettuce and bread or why not have a go at this lettuce soup perfect if your lettuce has gone a bit lip.