Summery Eating

[marypoppins]

Is anyone else going wild for summery tastes at the moment? I'm hooked on avocado, mozzerella, tomato and basil salad with lemon juice and pesto with long cool glasses of fruit juice.

What defines the taste of summer for you?

watermelon.....

I am desperate for gooseberries and can't find them anywhere yet.

Have an abundance of rocket and lettuces from the garden so my entire family are sick of salads already!

New potatoes, runner beans, tomatoes straight off the vine...

bbq

We're hooked on watermelon too. I just wish the UK shops did the genetically modified (?) seedless version.

winnie - I've got a gooseberry bush ready to drop! Pity you're not nearby, I'm not mad on them really.

watermelons,melons,avocado,gazpacho,salads and lots of fresh fruit juice

Hummous, pitta, avocado and chilled Chardonnay. Mmm... Hate salad though, yuk.

TInker, how do you know when gooseberries are ripe? We're in a house with a big bush now and I've got no idea when they'll be ready. We've got red and black currant bushes, also. Any ideas for using them?

Tinker - where are you & your gooseberry bush??? I love gooseberries & would gladly take then off your hands..... however I'm in Yorkshire....

Currently enjoying Nigella's Forever Summer book, the Greek Salad out of it is gorgeous and bbq lamb kebabs in Greek yoghurt marinade. Scottish strawberries - yummm! Last night's dinner of prawn and rice salad was yummy too. Ice lollies, ice cream (with the aforementioned strawbs). Mmmm and I had forgotten all about white wine as I drink so much of the red stuff, may get some white this week much more summery.

JJ - I don't really know if they are ripe but they are very plump looking so think they can't be far off.

Tetley - I'm in the North West - I'll leave them in a car park at a service station on the M62

Might learn to make (and love) gooseberry fool ,I'm sure Dr Atkins would have approved of that one.

Tinker - so near & yet so far....

My mum used to make strawberry & gooseberry pie when we were kids. Sounds a bit strange I know, but its really good!!

Gooseberry fool, tinker, lucky you!

SueW, my local turkish greengrocers sells the seedless ones. Lovely!

mammya, where are you? Is it too far from Nottingham to make the trip for a seedless watermelon?

Are you all pregnant?

I'm in London, I suppose that's a bit too far... I don't suppose posting it would be very cost effective, or maybe I could send it by courrier

mammya, I'm in London tomorrow and Saturday! I'm not sure I want to haul a few seedless watermelons back. Then again.... I'm coming down again Monday and Tuesday with DH so maybe I could persuade him they are a necessity!

You will be happy to learn, I'm sure, that the seedless ones seem to be smaller than the regular, "seedy" ones (well the ones at my greengrocer's are anyway)