What’s in season – August

July 28, 2021

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From juicy fruits to barbecue-friendly veg and summer squash, you can taste the sunshine in this month’s pick of the crop. August sees courgettes, aubergines, sweetcorn, melon and plums ripe for mealtime, so make the most of the weather by cooking up a storm on the grill. Plus, there’s loads of scope for creating light salads for warm days – these veg standouts go really well with your favourite cheese. And, look beyond your usual strawberry-filled summer dessert to the sweet taste of plum. It makes for a fantastic cake. Check out our August in-season recipes below for more inspiration.

Don’t forget you can find all these ingredients in our In Season aisle onsite.

COURGETTES

We might eat them all year round, but this summer squash is at its tastiest in August. Griddle long slices of courgette and halloumi, then make a quick dressing with olive oil, lemon juice and harissa to spoon over. Or tuck into them raw: coarsely grate a courgette and stir into greek yoghurt with crushed garlic, olive oil and mint for a delicious dip to go with lamb or flatbreads.

SWEETCORN

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.

PLUMS

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.

AUBERGINES

Whether you grill, fry or steam them, you need to be patient with cooking your aubergines. Give them the cooking time they need and you’ll be rewarded with a silky, tender texture. For a Thai-inspired veggie main to serve with sticky rice, stir fry small wedges of aubergine then add a dressing made with 1 chopped red chilli, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tsp caster sugar, and 2 tbsp each of lime, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar and toss together.

CANTALOUPE

With its sweet freshness, cantaloupe is great paired with contrasting flavours. The French often serve this orange-tinged melon with raspberries and muscat. For gazpacho lovers, blend it with a little cucumber, onion and olive oil. Then add sherry vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste.

PEPPERS

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.

HONEYDEW

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.

WATERMELON

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.

RECIPES TO TRY THIS AUGUST

Enjoy the fruits (and veg) of the late-summer season with cool watermelon-based drinks to sweet plum cake.