What's on the menu in July?


Hello my friend, and happy July!

The summeriest of the summer months began yesterday, and there's a huge variety of fruits and vegetables in season. More on that below, but first...

Shabbat recipe of the week - halva ice-cream pie!

Since these Shabbat recipes have proved so popular they're getting moved up the running order! This week's delight is the amazing 10-minute halva ice-cream pie. With just three simple ingredients, you can make it dairy or parve, and this delicious frozen dessert will wait happily in the freezer until you're ready to serve it and enjoy.

No pie crust? No problem! Make the ice-cream filling as usual, then serve in scoops topped with chopped nuts and a drizzle of date syrup for a fabulous sundae-style pudding.

​Read more here...​

What's in season in July

Farm shops and markets are bursting with fresh and delicious produce right now. Let's take a look at some of what's in season:

Vegetables: Aubergines πŸ†, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli πŸ₯¦, carrots πŸ₯•, cauliflower, corn, courgettes, cucumber πŸ₯’, fennel, French beans, kohlrabi, peas πŸ«› and mangetout, radishes, rocket πŸš€, runner beans, sorrel, spring onions, summer squash, sweetheart cabbage, Swiss chard, tomatoes πŸ…, turnips, watercress.

Fruits: Blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries πŸ’, gooseberries, greengages 🍈, peaches, pears, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, strawberries πŸ“

Look out for locally grown seasonal goodies at your local greengrocer, farm shop or market. Local, in-season fruit and veg is usually tastier and cheaper, as well as being more environmentally sustainable - yay!

Delicious recipes for July

It's cooled down a bit these last few days, but meteorologists are predicting at least one more heatwave this month, and probably more before the summer is over. So here are recipes for delicious seasonal foods that require minimal cooking. You might have to use the stove for a few minutes at a time, but I've managed to avoid switching on the oven. And there are some completely no-cook options too. Phew!

  • ​​Summer pea and bean salad with radishes and dill​
    One of my all-time favourite salads, it's resh, tasty, and surprisingly cooling! Add a handful of pea shoots or watercress too, if you fancy.
  • ​​​Easy sesame noodles​
    Cold and refreshing, these tasty noodles are a versatile side dish, light main, or easy packed lunch. Bursting with flavour from spring onions and a generous amount of fresh coriander.
  • ​Courgette recipe roundup​
    Courgettes are cheap and abundant right now, and they're a terrific and nutritious choice! This guide includes all manner of recipes including a raw courgette salad, a stovetop succotash, pasta, and even a cake!
  • ​Beetroot pasta with yogurt​
    This delicious dinner comes together quickly from just a handful of ingredients. Its wonderful flavour & vibrant colour make it a family favourite!
  • ​Aubergine shakshuka​
    ​
    Spicy, garlicky and saucy, shakshuka with aubergine makes a substantial breakfast, tasty brunch or delicious dinner. Serve with salad, and pita bread to soak up the sauce.
  • ​​Sephardic-style cauliflower with tomato and dill​
    An easy, traditional Jewish recipe that enhances tasty cauliflower with a garlicky, herby, fresh tomato sauce. Yum!
  • ​​Classic carrot salad​
    This simple but sophisticated French-style salad is easy, fast, and has filled a hole in my menu more than once! Crunchy and moreish, it's more than the sum of its parts!
  • ​Vegan panna cotta with roasted rhubarb​
    ​
    Light, creamy and indulgent, vegan panna cotta is surprisingly simple to make. An impressive dessert served with vibrant seasonal rhubarb.
  • ​​​The best fruit salad!​
    Read my top tips for assembling the most flavoursome, interesting, juicy, and vibrant fruit salad ever! This healthy and delicious dessert is always in season!

You might also like to take a look at all my salad recipes and ideas here.​

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Shabbat Shalom

I hope you're also enjoying the slightly cooler weather that we've had this week. It makes being outside altogether more pleasant! Now's the time to laze in the garden with a long drink, take a stroll in a park or local nature reserve, or just sit by the water somewhere and listen to the birds. Aaaahhhhh.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom - Good Shabbos! - to one and to all. May Shabbat and the week ahead bring us only good things - peace, health, joy and many blessings.

With love, Helen x.

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Family Friends Food

Hi, I'm Helen. I share easy, nutritious, seasonal, flexitarian recipes, often with a British-Jewish twist. Expect a weekly dose of delicious dinner ideas, news and positivity!

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