Delicious UK July 2023

speedy supper. Trapanese pesto pasta with salmon Serves 4 Hands-on time 25 min Season 4 salmon fillets with salt and pepper, then roast in a 180°C fan/gas 6 oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook 400g spaghetti according to the pack instructions until al dente. For the pesto, toast 40g blanched almonds in a dry pan, then whizz with 100g cherry tomatoes, ½ garlic clove, 2 anchovy fillets, 40g pecorino, 3 tbsp olive oil, ¼ bunch mint and ¼ bunch basil to give a coarse paste. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then toss the pesto with the drained pasta. Divide among bowls, then top with the salmon and a few extra mint and basil leaves. Per serving…

As I turn the pages of this issue it's 30°C outside, and the monotony of those rainy days at the beginning of the year is a fading memory. July is about celebrating the warmer days we all look forward to – a time that speaks of fresh air, sun, sea, holidays either happening or coming, and spending time with friends shooting the breeze on warm evenings outside rather than watching box sets under a blanket. Soft fruit and tomatoes are in abundance, drinks are veering towards chilled, portable and pink (p100), cocktails are getting a kick (p97) and ice cream is the order of the day. Talking of ice cream, I've never been one for flavours like raspberry ripple, Neapolitan, salted caramel and so on, largely because they often taste…

GARDEN PARTY Tuna tartare with avocado, soy and ginger p56 Flatbreads with chilli and fennel sausage, burrata and herbs p112 Salted pistachio and lime ice cream p45 Head out to the garden, dish up on the balcony or just enjoy the sun through your window with a summertime supper. A light starter makes way for smoky charred flatbreads followed by multiple scoops of homemade ice cream. THROWBACK FEAST Melon, smoked chicken and grape salad p80 Trapanese pesto pasta with salmon p3 Peach bellini and pink praline pavlova p87 Melon salad, pavlova, pesto pasta – all fantastic dishes with a touch of retro chic styling. Make the pavlova and salad in advance, then quickly rustle up the pasta for an effortless, indulgent and deeply satisfying three-courser. A menu to serve to…

Lunches under open skies and al fresco dinners stretching into the dusk are summer joys – and all the better when someone else is washing up. Book a seat at one of these special feasts or venues for back-to-nature magic… Wild Feasts at Oxmoor Farm, Buckinghamshire (below) Book Saturday night banquets and Sunday lunches showcasing small farms’ produce (£75) with guest chefs Olivia Cavalli (22-23 July) and Sophie Gordon (26-27 Aug). There are regular pizza nights, too, until 19 Aug; £1 from each will be donated to The Farming Community Network. oxmoorfarm.co.uk In Good Company supper club, London & surrounds Middle Eastern menus to Italian feasts in spectacular green locations, including Chelsea Physic Garden, RHS Garden Wisley and Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. From £60, dates until Sep, companyofcooks.com/in-good-company Barnaby's,…

thecrownpilton.com PUBBY CREDS The Clash on the music system, walls alive with local art and vintage curios, a barman in a faded Joy Division T-shirt: this country pub has indie quirk. In the fun garden (with a mock front room), a smoker cooks jerk chicken on special weekends, plus goodies for menus. There are folk, comedy and quiz nights. THE BOOZE Naturally, Somerset cider: Harry's, Stones from nearby Shepton Mallet and North Street by Bristol Beer Factory, alongside the brand's lager, amber and US pale ale. THE FOOD Pub classics (roast pork with porcine attitude, £16) and dishes looking further afield (beef kofta with tzatziki, £17). Bar snacks: sausage rolls and mushroom arancini. A delicate rhubarb and orange posset was heavenly. AROUND AND ABOUT The area has so much to…

STAR EMAIL Subject: Bringing food alive From: Maggie Brownlee Mark Diacono's interview with Ravinder Bhogal [Jun, p88] was startling for me. Kristin Perers’ photos of the golden coin curry and Ravinder with a huge bouquet of green veg and herbs were awesome. Although I love to cook, bake and eat out, for years I've had no sense of smell or taste. My food pleasures come only from the sight and texture of food, enhanced with my memories of how it tasted. I no longer mourn my loss, but I do indulge in the beautiful photography of dishes that, in Mark Diacono's words, “dance off the page.” Subject: How not to survive a holiday with friends From: Anon I did chuckle to myself when I read Debora's feature [Jun, p68]. We…