WELCOME TO August

It’s a shock when we get a sudden spell of hot weather

25 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF summer

Long days, warm nights, holidays… Celebrate everything that’s good about the season and plan something grand – or low-key

THE HEALTH DEBRIEF

FAD-FREE insight DEBUNKED food health news HEALTHFUL ways to eat better COMPILED EACH MONTH BY SUE QUINN

TASTE OF THE MED

Dreaming of sunny climes and holiday vibes? Bring the Mediterranean’s sun-kissed flavours to your dinner table with these good-for-you and family-pleasing weeknight suppers for four

THE LEFTOVERS RECIPE

After they’ve done lunch duty, use a few spare tortilla wraps to help make a filling midweek meal for four

BATCH-COOK RECIPE

Cook the ribs when you have time, then keep half in the freezer for a quick weeknight supper

THE BUDGET RECIPE

This crowdpleaser of a dish proves you don’t need a basketful of expensive ingredients or a complicated recipe to eat well

THE 5:2 RECIPE

Our carb-light take on noodles is an easy weeknight win

TAKE A PACK OF… CORN ON THE COB

Juicy sweetcorn, straight from the cob, is a summer classic. Try these new ideas

The controversial ingredient that’s technically illegal

The world is awash with CBD, a compound in cannabis plants called cannabidiol. It’s finding its way into a smorgasbord of food and drink, from coffee, bottled water and alcohol to energy bars, chocolate and pastries. But can these products deliver any of the claimed health benefits – and does CBD need proper regulation? Sue Quinn leafs through the evidence

THE SUNSHINE COLLECTION

Simplicity and quality of ingredients are hallmarks of the Greek kitchen. Taste is key, but colour and texture also play their part in creating a balanced dish. Give these fussfree recipes from Heather Thomas’s new book a try and find out why simple is often best

PLANT-BASED RECIPE

Satisfyingly creamy-fruity ice lollies: when things get hot, this is the way to chill

FOR STARTERS

NEWS, NIBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW

DOMINIQUE ANSEL

PATIENCE IS EVERYTHING

Wish list

How do you decide what to buy? Everything you see and

Cookware and bakeware from Circulon

Make any of the recipes from this month’s delicious.

KITCHEN TREASURE ”I used this to make cupcakes for the Queen”

At just 17, Martha Collison was the youngest-ever contestant on The Great British Bake Of back in 2014. She’s since gone on to bake for royalty, has two cookery books under her belt and believes no baker’s kitchen should be without an ice cream scoop

The joy of cooking with others

Far from being a place for solitary toil and cloistered creativity, the kitchen ought to be a room where friendships are nurtured, shoulder to shoulder, over simmering stews and steaming pots, says Debora Robertson. Added bonus: you get dinner at the end

ITALY’S LIQUID GOLD

Velvety sharp-sweet balsamic vinegar is one of Italy’s most revered ingredients, but it’s also the most misunderstood, with so many inferior imposters on shop shelves. Food writer Valentina Harris and chef Theo Randall travelled to Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region, to unravel the intricacies of a complex ingredient that no cook’s kitchen should be without

“I don’t want to grow anything normal”

A lifetime of plant knowledge, hard graft and an artist’s eye are the secret ingredients in Amanda Stradling’s superlative salads. Phoebe Stone stepped inside the polytunnel to learn more

Meet the producer

Amanda Stradling has been passionate about plants for

The recipe

Baby leaf salad with bacon and tarragon croutons and

WHAT TO DRINK

Susy Atkins picks her top August bottles, plus drinks to enjoy with steak

“Their cheeky banter put the ‘blue’ in blue cheese”

WHERE Wildes Cheese, 33 Queen Street, Tottenham, London

Denmark’s seaside escape

CLOCKWISE FROM THIS PICTURE Grenen, at the meeting

G R E A T E S C A P E S-Country style: Gravetye Manor

TO THE MANOR BORN, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Breathtaking grounds add to the sense of escapism; the glass-walled dining room brings nature up close; comfort and luxury combine with echoes of the past; fresh produce comes from the manor’s kitchen garden

Afternoon tea is a swizz

Curling sandwiches, dry scones, an eye-watering bill…

Join Delia and delicious.for the EVENT OF THE YEAR

When Victoria Wood presented Delia with a Bafta for services to television she called her a national treasure – and that’s no exaggeration. She has taught millions to be confident in the kitchen. She has sold 21 million books. And now, to mark 50 years of food writing, Delia is joining with delicious.to invite you to an exclusive celebration dinner

In the moment… AUGUST

AN ARRAY OF COLOURFUL PRODUCE IS AT ITS FINEST IN HIGH

ALWAYS A WINNER PAELLA

This much-loved Spanish dish is the ideal one-pan supper. Traditionally made for Sunday lunch, it’s cooked over an aromatic open fire in a shady spot away from the fierce midday sun, with everyone diving into the finished creation to nab the choicest morsels

TIME TO PLAY IT COOL

Summer calls for fun, no-fuss food that frees you up to enjoy the outdoors. Georgina Hayden shows how to stay chilled in the kitchen, even during a heatwave

A cook’s year TOMATOES

Nothing shouts summer more than vine-ripened orbs bursting with sweetness. Gill Meller pays homage to heritage varieties with his rustic, slow-roasted dish

How to throw the best party of summer

Sultry evenings are made for sharing food with friends in the most stressfree way possible. Solution? A pizza party! Prepare the dough and toppings ahead, deck the garden with twinkling lights, fire up the oven, then invite everyone to drink cocktails and feast on hot, freshly made pizzas

THE BARBIE CROWDPLEASER

Harissa – that wonderful North African spice paste – packs a punch in this easy-going roast chicken. It cooks in under an hour and is our new go-to dish for a relaxed lunch outside

“Mum taught me that food needs love and care”

Blogger Irina Georgescu has made the UK her home, but it’s her Romanian culinary heritage – and especially her mum’s cooking – that remain her source of pride and inspiration

THE FILM OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001)

Good films and great food are partners in crime (this

FREE! £75 VOUCHER TO SPEND AT MAJESTIC

If you’re thinking “Hmm, there must be a catch,” I

LOOSE ENDS

Don’t let this month’s special ingredients linger in your kitchen. Instead, make the most of them with these smart and easy ideas

BE A BET TER COOK

8 PAGES OF TIPS AND KNOW-HOW TO GET YOU COOKING SMARTER, FASTER AND WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE

delicious

• Gennaro Contaldo’s perfect pasta: the easiest way

WIN A gourmet holiday for two to Jamaica

Experience seven nights of all-inclusive luxury at Sandals Montego Bay,

PRIZE CROSSWORD

Complete the puzzle, take a picture and email it to

THIS MONTH IN THE delicious. KITCHEN...

When the delicious. team test recipes, we often debate

Apricot & almond tart

This is a great recipe for high summer, when apricots