August

Sorrel

This sour-tasting herb complements most types of fish, especially oily varieties such as salmon and delicate white fish such as lemon sole. It is also a natural ally of shellfish such as crab and lobster.

Try adding butter and chopped fresh sorrel to the pan juices once the fish is fried, then serve drizzled over the fish. Or, reduce a glass of white wine with the pan juices and stir in cream and chopped sorrel. Alternatively, substitute sorrel leaves for tarragon in a revamped hollandaise sauce.

If fish isn't your thing, add sorrel to a roast chicken, French omelette or Spanish tortilla, or chop it into a simple herb or goats' cheese salad. The leaves can be blanched before use if they taste too sharp.

• Roast quail with chestnuts and Calvados by Simon Rimmer
• Salmon and haddock fishcake on buttered spinach with sorrel sauce by Antony Worrall Thompson
• Poached sea trout with sorrel hollandaise by Rick Stein
• Roast chicken with sorrel, wild mushroom risotto and greens with a white truffle emulsion by Steven Wallis
• Salmon Kiev by Silvena Rowe
• Vegetable and herb soup by Michael Caines
• Potted brown shrimp and devilled crab claws by Tristan Welch
• Salmon with green butter (video recipe) by Sophie Grigson from Get Cooking
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Rabbit

Despite kicking off its season in August, rabbit benefits from slow-cooking methods usually associated with chilly winter nights: the meat tenderises after a long spell in the oven steeped in hearty stock or thick gravy, and expectations mount for a taste of a nostalgic, melting mouthful.

Rabbit meat needs bold flavours that can compete with its gamey flavour. Simmer it in cider or beer, or deglaze the cooking pan with Calvados. Or put it in the ring with pungent garlic and rosemary and earthy wild mushrooms and let it do its stuff. Be adventurous: stir rabbit into a creamy pasta sauce, such as Simon Rimmer's Rabbit and walnut linguine, or let it share the plate with shellfish, chocolate, or South-East Asian-inspired ingredients such as lemongrass. You won’t be disappointed.

Over the summer months, there are plenty of ways to enjoy rabbit without getting hot and bothered in the kitchen. Work the meat into a terrine or pâté and serve with fruity homemade chutney and Melba toast to spruce up a buffet or start an al fresco meal as you mean to go on. Or try pairing fried rabbit loin with salty meat such as prosciutto or seasonal fruit such as gooseberries. Alternatively, make like Elmer Fudd and cook up a succulent rabbit pie that can be chilled and taken on picnics.

• Rabbit with garlic and rosemary served with bruschetta by Gennaro Contaldo
• Rabbit pie by Liz Smith
• Gigot de lapin with calamari (optional) and potato gnocchi by Eric Chavot
• Game terrine by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Game stew with Stilton and walnut dumplings by Ed Baines
• Rabbit wrapped in Serrano ham with chicory and orange salad by James Martin
• Rabbit with petits pois, cider and lettuce by Valentine Warner
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Pepper (capsicum)

Traffic-light bright and shiny, peppers are welcome guests at the summer table. Although native to the Americas, crunchy peppers are synonymous with Mediterranean dishes and marry perfectly with other seasonal staples such as aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes. Stew these ingredients together in a pepperonata and serve warm with crusty bread and thick slices of pan-fried pork fillet, or layer thick slices of fried pepper, aubergine and courgette with mozzarella and grill until the cheese has melted.

Choose your capsicum to suit your dish and experiment with different varieties. Green peppers are the most bitter, and work well in tangy dishes such as goulash. Reds are all-rounders: incorporate them into stir fries, ratatouille, or pasta sauces. Spanish dishes also make heavy use of red peppers and paprika, a derivative of the Anaheim pepper variety. Try piquillo peppers, which work well as tapas, either stuffed with soft cheese or served with pan-fried slices of chorizo. Or, ring the changes with pleasantly sweet Romero peppers.

Yellow and orange pepper varieties bring sweeter notes to salads or dishes such as sweet-and-sour pork. Try stuffing them with herbed couscous and serving alongside a thick slab of chargrilled tuna.

This being barbecue season, the flesh of peppers is juicy and robust enough to withstand fiery hot coals. Griddle the pepper halves, then drizzle with pesto and sprinkle over toasted breadcrumbs - a simple accompaniment to barbecued meats. Or, thread pepper pieces onto skewers with cubes of succulent pork or marinated chicken and offer them up to the grill.

• Paella by Antony Worrall Thompson
• Warm salad of grilled vegetables with parmesan and balsamic vinegar by Paul and Jeanne Rankin
• Warm Provençal vegetables with melted goats' cheese on a toasted ciabatta bread by Michael Caines
• Heston Blumenthal's ratatouille by Heston Blumenthal
• Pan-fried sea bass with a three pepper stir-fry by Paul Merrett
• King prawns with romesco crust by Angela Hartnett
• Search for more pepper (capsicum) recipes

Melon

Melons must be summer's most man-handled fruit. However, when they're in season, it's difficult to go wrong, whichever one you end up taking home. Just press the ends firmly - if they yield slightly to the pressure, they should be ready to eat. The other clue is aroma: a ripe one should smell sweetly aromatic.

Different melon varieties peak at different points in the season, so this summer, make the most of this versatile fruit in all its varieties. Slice honeydew melons and lay paper-thin slices of Spanish cured ham, preferably pata negra, over them for a simple starter. Or cut cantaloupe melons in half and scoop out the flesh using a melon baller. Return the melon balls to the hollowed-out melon, then pour in a generous splash of violently coloured port.

To accompany main courses, liven up savoury salads with pieces of Charantais melon and fresh young cheese. Or be thrifty and use dried melon seeds to thicken soups and sauces or to sprinkle over salads; they add an extra layer of flavour. For dessert, plate up a medley of mini melon treats: top up a watermelon with vodka for a week in advance, then serve a boozy chunk of it alongside a scoopette of honeydew sorbet and a shot glass filled with cantaloupe fool.

• Fruit salad by Gino D'Acampo
• Chicken patiala by Madhur Jaffrey
• Melon sorbet with lemon syrup by Richard Doyle
• Charentais melon, prosciutto, wild rocket and pecorino salad by James Martin
• Chilled melon soup with langoustines and mint by James Martin
• Charentais melon rasayana by Anjum Anand
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Tomatoes

Sun-warmed tomatoes picked straight from the vine are the ideal way to enjoy the fruit. But even if you aren't green-fingered, there's no better time to seek out these ripe red orbs.

Nobody needs advice on how to cook tomatoes - they're faithful bedfellows to cheese in sandwiches, they give a vitamin boost to a full English and they make any salad worth its salt. However, if inspiration beckons this summer, try roughly chopping peeled, ripe tomatoes and adding a hint of fresh basil and a pinch of salt. Serve this simplest of salsas with homemade burgers. Or finely chop tomatoes and stir them into tabbouleh or herbed couscous.

If your garden yields a glut of tomatoes, blend them to a purée and mix Bloody Mary cocktails for your friends. Or cut ripe tomatoes in half and rub them vigorously all over crusty bread, Spanish style - the tomato flesh will reduce to a delicious pulpy spread. For added bite, rub a garlic clove over the bread first. Serve with olive oil, for dipping. ¡Buenísimo!

• Tomato tarte tatin by Simon Rimmer
• Tuna carpaccio with rocket and a chilli tomato dressing by Mike Robinson
• Steak sandwich with Pyengana cheddar, baby rocket, tomato and spiced jam by Neil Perry
• Cornish crab salad with gazpacho sauce by Mitch Tonks
• Mozzarella and basil-stuffed courgette flowers with halibut and tomato and courgette sauce by James Martin
• Pan-fried lamb cutlets with marjoram crushed peas and tomato and anchovy dressing by Mark Sargeant
• Search for more tomato recipes

John Dory

There are competing explanations for John Dory’s curious name. It is most likely to be down to the British mispronunciation of the French adjectives 'jaune' (yellow) and 'dorée' (golden), which refer to the gilded colouring of the fish. It seems a sensible explanation for a fish linked to Saint Peter: according to legend, the black marks on either side of it are his thumbprints, which were imprinted onto the fish when he threw it back into the Sea of Galilee.

Saint Peter didn't know what he was missing, as this meaty fish has firm flesh that won't flake apart when fried, making it a perfect ingredient for that most British of suppers: fish and chips. Whip up a light tempura batter, substituting sparkling water for ice cold beer. Add just enough liquid to the flour for the mixture to have the consistency of double cream. Heat the oil thoroughly, then deep fry the batter-coated fish fillets until crisp and bubbling. For summer, serve with new potatoes and freshly podded, boiled peas mixed with chopped fresh mint and butter.

The subtle flavours of John Dory require a punchy sidekick. Blend plenty of coriander and garlic in a food processor with one part lemon juice to two parts extra virgin olive oil and drizzle it over the pan-fried fillet. Or flake the meat into a Thai-style curry sauce, made with coconut milk, finely chopped lemongrass, red chilli, ginger, lime leaves, and fresh coriander, then serve in bowls with steamed rice. Alternatively, rub a little harissa over the fish before roasting it in the oven. Pop a lemon half into the roasting tray, then squeeze it over the roasted fillet before serving - the juice will be pleasantly sweet and sticky. For a fish supper with a kick, follow the lead of 18th century actor James Quin, who was so passionate about the fish that he joked about 'good John Dory' being a perfect match for 'delicate Ann Chovy'.

• Pan-fried John Dory in green spice paste with warm apple salad by Atul Kochhar
• Spiced John Dory with mango salsa by Tony Tobin
• John Dory with braised Little Gem lettuce by Simon Rimmer
• Pan-fried John Dory with shrimp sauce vierge and sautéed potatoes by James Martin
• Search for more John Dory recipes

Crayfish

Crayfish are significantly smaller, freshwater cousins of the lobster. When sourcing crayfish, remember that the native British white-claw is a protected species, so you should be sold signal crayfish, which have a distinctive red underside.

Signal crayfish are not a native species and, since their importation from the Western United States, have colonised many waterways in the UK, pushing out the native white-claw.

Crayfish are generally suitable for the same treatment as large prawns or langoustines. With such sweet meat, simplicity is key: eat cooked fresh crayfish with mayonnaise and a dash of lemon juice, or fry them in paprika, garlic and plenty of olive oil and stir into pasta. Chef Richard Corrigan recommends boiling crayfish in salted water with a healthy dose of bronze fennel, for flavour, and serving them alongside thin slices of buttered granary bread. Crayfish are also delicious in risottos, soups and stews.

• Risotto with crayfish and wild mushrooms by James Martin
• Floyd's gumbo by Keith Floyd
• Rock salt and star anise baked crayfish tails with lemon butter by Simon King and David Myers
• Ragoût of crayfish, girolles, fregola pasta, courgettes and watercress cream by Adam Byatt
• Crayfish with hazelnut and pastis butter by Valentine Warner
• Baltic crab salad by Silvena Rowe
• Search for more crayfish recipes

Also in season

1. apricots
2. artichoke
3. aubergines
4. beetroot
5. blackberries
6. blueberries
7. broad beans
8. broccoli
9. carrots
10. chard
11. cod
12. courgettes
13. crab
14. cucumber
15. damsons
16. Dover sole
17. fennel
18. French beans
19. garlic
20. grey mullet
21. haddock
22. halibut
23. herring
24. John Dory
25. kiwi fruit
26. kohlrabi
27. lamb
28. leeks
29. lemon sole
30. lettuce
31. lobster
32. loganberries
33. mackerel
34. mangetout
35. marrow
36. melons
37. monkfish
38. nectarines
39. onions
40. peppers
41. peaches
42. plaice
43. plums
44. potatoes (main crop)
45. radishes
46. rabbit
47. raspberries
48. redcurrants
49. rocket
50. runner beans
51. salmon
52. sardines
53. sea bass
54. scallops
55. sorrel
56. squid
57. strawberries
58. sweetcorn
59. tomatoes
60. turbot
61. watercress
62. wood pigeon