welcome.

July… A month of escaping outside whenever possible:

Make July delicious.

As summer gets into its stride, wide open spaces and sandy beaches are calling – with fantastic food all the way

A glass of riesling with Spencer Metzger

The head chef at The Ritz London and this year’s Great British Menu winner talks about magic, being in the moment and his career-long mentor

OVER TO YOU

STAR EMAIL ★ Subject: Learning to cook with

APPETISERS

Bite-size news, reviews & diary dates. By Phoebe Stone

HOTLIST

What’s new, what’s great, what we rate

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

So many great recipes in this issue, but how best to combine them? Here are three warm-weather menus put together by food editor Tom Shingler

A fresh-air feast

You may not be lucky enough to live by the sea like Gill Meller, but you can still head outside for picnic fun. Raised pies, pasties, scotch eggs, pickled beetroot, seasonally summery British salads… He’s worked his magic on them all. Just add sunshine

Let the veg shine

Looking to make your summer vegetables more exciting? Chef Josh Katz, celebrated for his big, bold flavours, is your guy. Here, he uses chilli honey to spice up a courgette tart, blackens aubergine for a thick, flavoursome soup and adds green-herb zing to cheesy Turkish pizzas

A burger with a difference

Here’s a great idea for the barbie: a juicy, lightly spiced patty made from the UK’s most sustainable meat: venison. We predict love at first bite

How to survive having people to stay

Ah, visitors… Such a joy – as long as they whisk themselves off for a nap mid-afternoon. Debora Robertson recommends food prep, job delegation, a judicious amount of eating out – and scones

Salmon gets the barbie treatment

Who said roasts aren’t for summer? Cook this beauty in the oven or on your grill. The salmon-and-cucumber combo gets an update with smoky and pickled flavours – just add a green salad and new potatoes for a full-on feast

Chill-out feast

Ben Tish’s three-course menu is a symphony of Mediterranean flavours – make the tart ahead of time, pop the lamb in the oven to slow-cook in the afternoon, then all you have to do is prepare the simple starter

“Today we made borsch. It nourished us and made us feel stronger”

When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the world changed for millions. Award-winning food writer Olia Hercules, whose family live in her Ukrainian homeland, was plunged into despair. She couldn’t cook; she couldn’t eat; but a fire in her belly gave her the strength to co-found the Cook for Ukraine campaign, which has raised over £1 million. And she has rediscovered cooking as solace, sharing hope and nurturing through one very special dish

Big up the berry bounty

The sweet joys of the sunny season are finally here... Make the most of them in these fruity puddings

Chef’s secret recipe

Avinash Shashidhara of Fitzrovia restaurant Pahli Hill salutes the king of Indian summer fruit with this creamy, juicy and aromatic creation

In full bloom

Ah, that fluffy white coat promising gooey creaminess within. Camembert, brie, chaource… These are cheeses with widespread appeal, and in recent years British cheesemakers have muscled in on the act, producing superstar examples to rival France’s best

15 THRIFTY WAYS TO SPEND LESSON FOOD AND FUEL

With bills and prices rising at an alarming rate, many people are asking: how can we shop and cook more wisely? delicious. writer Thea Everett, queen of thrifty cooking, draws on advice from experts known for their money-saving wisdom and shares her tried-and-tested tips

Andalusia’s hidden heart

Bite-size break

YOUR PERFECT HOTEL GETAWAY

Treat yourself to a short stay at one of the UK’s best hotels with these tempting offers from the delicious.Travel Club

delicious. discoveries

The best stuff from producers big and small, taste-tested for you

Hot on the shelves

Our pick of the best new products and ingredients hitting the supermarkets this summer for you to add to your shopping list

Here comes the sun

Champion producers

July Recipe index

78 STARTERS, SIDES AND NIBBLES • Camembert and

Should we be eating grey squirrels?

If you’re horrified by the idea of snacking on a hedgehog or a sprig of Japanese knotweed, maybe you should think again, says Lindsey Harrad. Left unchecked, these invasive species can wreck ecosystems

Drinks

Pink tipples, hot-weather beers and a flowery cooler

Susy’s Best buys

Everything’s coming up rosé! Expert Susy Atkins selects the best pink drinks

Quench lessons

On a hot day, says Mark Dredge, a good beer is all about the three Rs: refreshment, refreshment, refreshment

Make. Life. Simple.

PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN CALITZ. FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING:

FIRE UP the grill!

Who said barbecues are only for the weekend? Make the most of the balmy summer nights with these easy midweek winners

Canny fish salad

Tinned sardines and leftover bread star in this summery plateful, perfect for warm weather entertaining or a speedy weekday lunch

Chetna’s star summer pudding

Studded with at-their-best-now cherries and crunchy flaked almonds, this all-in-one cake from food writer and Bake Off star Chetna Makan looks impressive and tastes wonderful – plus it’s a cinch to make

Use it up

Savvy ways to use up all kinds of ingredients, from linseeds to excess sourdough starter, left over from recipes in this issue

Health NEWS

News, nuggets of knowledge and advice you can trust.

Hello GOOD bacteria

Fermented foods are good for you – that’s the on-trend wisdom of the moment. But are all created equal? Sue Quinn unbottles the facts on the health craze that’s become big business

A healthier fry-up

If you love kimchi or you’ve made the stuff in The Project this month, Kylee Newton has a great recipe for it. Woks at the ready…

WIN! A three-night escape to Seville

The Luxury Travel Book, a select collection of

Take five

There are prizes to be won and fun to be had with Hugh Thompson’s delicious. brain teasers

THE FOOD QUIZ

IT’S WHAT COFFEE, CAKE AND SOFAS WERE MADE FOR

Be a better cook

Indispensable tips from the delicious. test kitchen, plus basic knife know-how, DIY kimchi and how to make baguettes from your own sourdough starter

Sourdough starter tips

Attempting the baguettes in this month’s Technical Bake? If you’re new to the world of sourdough, here’s what you need to know to keep your starter in top condition

Ching’s DIY kimchi

“Kimchi is a Korean side dish made from fermented, salted cabbage and radishes. It has a spicy, sour kick. The spiciness comes from Korean red pepper flakes, known as gochugaru, and the tang comes from the fermentation. This is my all-time favourite pickle and it’s so good for your gut bacteria... The mix gets better over time and is wonderful in stews, stir-fries and noodle broths. Enjoy!”

The Dusty Knuckle’s linseed baguettes

A bakery and café with branches in north and east London, The Dusty Knuckle is lauded for helping at-risk youths into employment. It’s also celebrated for its world-class bakes, including these crunchyon-the-outside, chewy-on-theinside baguettes. They’re a labour of love, but all good things come to those who wait…