Some Foods In Season During August

What's in season in August

As summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) hits its peak, seasonal fruit and vegetables in August need minimal cooking to create delicious meals. Juicy tomatoes are a great base for easy summer salads – pair with griddled sweetcorn, creamy mozzarella or fresh basil for classic flavour combinations. For dessert, sweet nectarines, raspberries and plums can be enjoyed raw or blitzed into fruity ice creams, smoothies and cocktails for refreshing treats.

Tomatoes

Simple salads of fresh tomatoes are a highlight of summer. Look for bright and firm tomatoes with wrinkle-free skins that are not split, and have a sweet, earthy scent. If sold on the vine, choose a thick, strong vine with tightly attached tomatoes. It's best not to put tomatoes in the fridge as this will impair their flavour and texture.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Summer Tomato Pie, it's low carb, more details here

Slow Roasted Tomato Salad, only 3.7 carbs per serving, more details here

Vittoria tomato tricolore salad, perfect for summer and it's LCHF, more details here

Courgettes/Zucchini 

This versatile green vegetable is tender and easy to cook. The smaller the courgette/zucchini, the more flavour it has. Choose ones that are shiny and firm to the touch. Courgettes/Zucchini are in season from mid-June to mid-September.

Some recipes you may like to try: 

Spinach and ricotta lasagne with courgette pasta, more details here

Courgette / Zucchini Pizza Boats, something a little different, more details here

Italian-style courgette/zucchini and parmesan soup, more details here 

Plums

British plums are wonderfully versatile and can simply be eaten as they are or used in sweet late summer bakes. With a smooth, chalky skin and juicy flesh, this succulent British fruit are in season from August to October. Varying in colour from golden to purple, popular varieties include Victoria and Marjorie Seedling.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Honey-baked plums with mascarpone, details are here

Pork and Plum casserole, details are here

Vienna Plum Cake, it's low carb and gluten free, details are here

Nectarines

Although similar in taste and appearance to peaches, nectarines are slightly more acidic, with a smoother skin. Ripe nectarines have no green patches and are firm but give a little when gently squeezed. Keep in a fruit bowl and move to the fridge once ripe. 

Some recipes you may like to try:

Almond crêpes with avocado & nectarines, more details here

Nectarines with velvety vanilla cream, (perhaps use a low carb sugar substitute), more details here

Griddled nectarine and ham salad with basil dressing, more details here

Raspberries

Raspberries are a member of the rose family (along with apples, cherries and blackberries) and are made up of small juicy rounds called drupelets. Due to their delicate nature, it’s vital to store raspberries correctly. Keep in the fridge, arranged in a single layer on a sheet of kitchen paper.

Some recipes you may like to try:

White Chocolate Raspberry Lolly (Popsicle), low carb and dairy free, more details here 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Mug Cupcake, low carb and so delicious, more details here

Raspberry Baked Custard Dessert, more details here

I wonder what would be your favourite from the above?
Mine would be raspberies ...

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas within this blog, we hope something for everyone to read and enjoy ... but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan