☀️ Summer Recipes — Light Dishes & Cocktails

Cold poached prawns with avocado in a lemon and dill dressing — a starter that takes ten minutes.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Bitter chicory leaves against salty blue cheese and toasted walnuts — a classic French winter combination.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Ripe pear against peppery rocket and creamy gorgonzola, with a honey and balsamic dressing.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Baby spinach wilted slightly by a warm bacon dressing, with mushrooms and a soft-boiled egg.

⏱ 30 min · 4 serves

Raw courgette shaved into ribbons with lemon, mint and Parmesan — no cooking and no wilting.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

Shredded cabbage and carrot in a sesame, ginger and lime dressing — crunchier and sharper than a mayonnaise slaw.

⏱ 20 min · 6 serves

Turkish bulgur salad with pepper paste, pomegranate molasses and a great deal of parsley.

⏱ 25 min · 6 serves

Slow-simmered octopus with potato, celery and lemon — the Mediterranean way, dressed while warm.

⏱ 95 min · 6 serves

Chewy wild rice with dried cranberries, pecans and orange — a salad built for a cold table.

⏱ 65 min · 6 serves

Thai minced chicken salad with toasted rice powder, lime and herbs — served warm, eaten in lettuce cups.

⏱ 30 min · 4 serves

The Eastern European potato salad — diced vegetables, egg and ham bound in mayonnaise, cut small and mixed cold.

⏱ 55 min · 6 serves

Raw celeriac in matchsticks under a mustard mayonnaise — the French bistro starter that improves for an hour.

⏱ 25 min · 6 serves

Green, kidney and cannellini beans in a sweet-sharp vinaigrette that keeps for days.

⏱ 25 min · 6 serves

Ripe tomatoes at room temperature under a torn burrata, with basil and good oil and nothing else.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

Cauliflower roasted hard until the edges blacken, with tahini, pomegranate and herbs.

⏱ 50 min · 4 serves

Quinoa with black beans, corn, avocado and lime — a substantial salad that holds up for lunch the next day.

⏱ 45 min · 6 serves

Peruvian raw fish cured in lime for minutes, not hours, with red onion, chilli and sweet potato.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

The original tall gin sour — gin, lemon, sugar and soda over ice in a Collins glass.

⏱ 4 min · 1 serves

The everyday dressing — balsamic, mustard and oil emulsified in the right order and the right ratio.

⏱ 10 min · 10 serves

A Sicilian winter salad — shaved raw fennel against orange segments, olives and red onion.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Fluffy couscous with roasted peppers, chickpeas, herbs and preserved lemon.

⏱ 35 min · 6 serves

Chickpeas with cucumber, tomato, red onion and herbs in a lemon dressing — a fifteen-minute lunch that keeps.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

Raw kale worked by hand with lemon and oil until it softens and darkens, with Parmesan and toasted almonds.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

Carrots cooked just soft, dressed warm with cumin, harissa and lemon, finished with coriander.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

The Persian table salad — cucumber, tomato and onion in the finest possible dice, with dried mint and lime.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Tonno e fagioli — good tinned tuna, cannellini beans and red onion, dressed with nothing more than oil and lemon.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

Japanese vinegared cucumber — thin slices salted, squeezed and dressed in sweetened rice vinegar with wakame.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

Nutty farro with roasted vegetables, herbs and lemon — a grain salad sturdy enough to travel.

⏱ 50 min · 4 serves

Roasted beetroot against soft goat cheese and toasted walnuts, with a honey and balsamic dressing.

⏱ 90 min · 4 serves

Warm potatoes in a bacon and vinegar dressing — no mayonnaise, and served while it is still warm.

⏱ 50 min · 6 serves

Insalata di riso — cold rice studded with pickled vegetables, cheese and ham, the Italian summer lunchbox.

⏱ 40 min · 6 serves

Seared steak sliced thin over herbs and shallots, dressed with lime, fish sauce and toasted rice powder.

⏱ 40 min · 4 serves

Cold watermelon against salty feta, mint and lime — the simplest hot-weather salad there is.

⏱ 15 min · 6 serves

Indonesian blanched vegetable salad under a thick peanut sauce, with egg, tofu and prawn crackers.

⏱ 55 min · 4 serves

Puy lentils dressed warm with mustard vinaigrette, shallots and plenty of herbs.

⏱ 40 min · 4 serves

Bulgaria's national salad — tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion under a snowdrift of grated white cheese.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

Finely diced cucumber and tomato with lemon and olive oil — the smaller the dice, the better the salad.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Green papaya salad pounded in a mortar — the Thai balance of sour, salty, sweet and searingly hot.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

Tuscany's answer to stale bread — torn crusts soaked in tomato juice and vinegar, with ripe tomatoes and basil.

⏱ 25 min · 4 serves

A Levantine parsley salad — overwhelmingly herbs, with bulgur as a seasoning rather than a base.

⏱ 30 min · 4 serves

The shepherd's salad — a shopska built up with ham, mushrooms, boiled egg and yellow cheese into a full meal.

⏱ 35 min · 4 serves

Bulgarian strained yogurt salad — thick yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill and walnuts, somewhere between a salad and a dip.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

East African tomato and onion salad — three ingredients, sharp with lime and chilli, served alongside almost everything.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

A Levantine bread salad — crisp fried pita over chopped vegetables in a sumac and pomegranate molasses dressing.

⏱ 30 min · 4 serves

Provencal summer vegetables cooked separately and only then brought together — the step that keeps each one tasting of itself.

⏱ 100 min · 6 serves

The clay-pot vegetable bake that gave the dish its name — summer vegetables layered raw and left to cook slowly in their own juices.

⏱ 120 min · 6 serves

The Bulgarian summer skillet — roasted peppers and tomatoes cooked down, then set with eggs and crumbled sirene.

⏱ 45 min · 4 serves

The cold yogurt soup that gets Bulgaria through August — cucumber, garlic, dill and walnuts in thinned yogurt, served ice-cold.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

A classic Caesar salad with a bold, creamy dressing made entirely without dairy or anchovies. Crispy romaine, crunchy croutons, and punchy flavour.

⏱ 27 min · 4 serves

A bright and crunchy spring salad with rocket, radishes, cucumber and hard-boiled eggs – light, fresh and perfect alongside the Easter feast.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

A fresh and vibrant lamb stew with peas, carrots and new potatoes – light, green and perfectly in tune with Easter spring.

⏱ 70 min · 4 serves

A light and zesty lemon cake with a glossy lemon glaze – the perfect refreshing Easter dessert after a rich feast.

⏱ 55 min · 10 serves

Crunchy napa cabbage salad with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, almonds, and a sesame-ginger dressing.

⏱ 30 min · 4 serves

Fresh baby spinach with sweet strawberries, candied pecans, feta, and a poppy seed dressing.

⏱ 20 min · 4 serves

Light and refreshing cucumber salad with red onion and a tangy dill vinaigrette.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves

The cooling Greek yoghurt dip with cucumber, garlic, and dill. A perfect counterpoint to grilled meats and warm pita — minimal effort, maximum flavour.

⏱ 15 min · 6 serves

Genoa's greatest gift — fresh basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil blended into vivid green perfection. Toss with pasta or spread on anything.

⏱ 10 min · 6 serves

The bold, creamy anchovy dressing that made a salad world-famous — garlic, lemon, Worcestershire, and Parmesan in one powerful flavour punch.

⏱ 10 min · 8 serves

The ultimate Cuban classic — fresh mint, tangy lime, and rum topped with soda water. Crisp, refreshing, and endlessly popular.

⏱ 5 min · 1 serves

Mexico's most popular cocktail — tequila with fresh grapefruit and lime, topped with soda. Bright, tart, and deeply refreshing.

⏱ 5 min · 1 serves

The tropical classic from Puerto Rico — creamy coconut, sweet pineapple, and rum blended to pure island bliss.

⏱ 5 min · 1 serves

Italy's favourite aperitivo — Aperol, Prosecco, and soda over ice. Light, bubbly, and effortlessly easy to love.

⏱ 2 min · 1 serves

A zesty, gingery cocktail traditionally served in a copper mug — vodka meets spicy ginger beer meets lime juice.

⏱ 5 min · 1 serves

Crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a tangy, creamy homemade Caesar dressing with crunchy croutons and parmesan.

⏱ 27 min · 4 serves

A bright, refreshing salad of crisp vegetables, tangy feta, and kalamata olives in a lemon-oregano dressing.

⏱ 15 min · 4 serves