What’s in season – August

It’s easy to always buy the same kind of For a real taste of summer, cook corn on the cob on a barbecue or in a griddle pan. Pop the raw cobs straight onto the heat and cook for 20 minutes giving them a quarter turn every five minutes. We love them with flavoured butter melting over the top: just bring salted butter to room temperature, then stir through lime zest, spring onion, garlic, coriander and ancho chilli. Or, try thyme, garlic, lemon zest and shallot.

Fresh peas can be used just as you’d use frozen – just cook in boiling water for a minute or so longer, until they’re bright green and tender. But the beauty of really fresh peas is that you can also eat them They may be a staple of British orchards, but plums work amazingly well in Asian-style dishes. For something a little different, go savoury and make a sauce to serve with roast duck or chicken. Just combine 400g chopped plums, 2 chopped red chillies, 150g sugar, 100ml rice vinegar, 150ml water, 1 tsp grated ginger, salt, pepper and a pinch of Chinese five spice in a covered pan and simmer for 20 minutes until the plums are soft.

Cut in half, peppers are perfect little boats: vessels for a medley of delights. Fill with crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion and black olives, then season, scatter with dried oregano and bake for 20 mins at 200°C/ 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Or, toss strips with diced aubergines and courgettes, tinned chickpeas and veg stock flavoured with a pinch of saffron. Bake until tender, for a delicious match for grilled mackerel or sea bream.

A few torn leaves will liven up any salad, or Although lighter in colour than cantaloupe, honeydew melon can be enjoyed in much the same way. It also blends beautifully with lime juice, mint or elderflower cordial. We love to freeze this mixture into lolly moulds for hot days. Or, for an easy granita, blend 500g honeydew with 150g caster sugar and 150ml water, then freeze in a shallow dish; break the mixture up with a fork every 30 mins, until you get a slushy texture.

For a summer refresher, go for watermelon. When it’s snack o’clock, load up grilled watermelon triangles with torn mozzarella and prosciutto: brush wedges with honey and griddle for 2 minutes each side. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, then pile on the cheese and ham. Or, add cubes to a prawn salad with coriander, mint, spring onion and lettuce. Drizzle with a dressing of equal parts chilli sauce and lime juice, with a dash of fish sauce, and finish with chopped peanuts.