Dear Diary,
August seasonal produce has been generous. Tomatoes collapsing in their own sweetness, berries bursting like stolen jewels, corn caramelising under miso’s spell. A salsa that dances with fire, aubergine breathing smoke, peaches dripping down my wrists before I can even plate them.
It’s messy and abundant and gloriously alive. And maybe that’s the point – food doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to make you feel. So here’s to August – to the plates that surprise me, the baskets that overflow, and the quiet joy of eating something that could only taste like this, right now.
Sunshine on the Vine (Tomatoes)
If there’s one thing August Seasonal Produce does best, it’s tomatoes. Fat, juicy, unapologetic tomatoes that barely need more than a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
I’ve loved them roasted on the vine, just like in my Scandi Style Breakfast with Silken Eggs & Smoked Mackerel – blistered, sweet, and full of late-summer flavour. Honestly, they don’t need fussing with. Just let them taste like August.
Confetti Mornings (Berries)
There’s something wildly indulgent about August berries – cherries, raspberries, blackberries – the sort you eat straight from the punnet and suddenly realise you’ve stained your lips purple.
They’ve been tumbling into my breakfast bowls, just like the cherries in this one. A bowl of yoghurt, fruit, and crunch always feels like a small celebration, but in August? It’s practically confetti!
Golden & Glorious (Sweetcorn)
Golden, sweet, and best when a little charred — corn is the crop I wait for every year. My favourite way recently has been brushing it with miso and letting it caramelise until sticky and smoky.
If you’ve tried my Miso Glazed Salmon with Garlic & Ginger on Toasted Quinoa Pilaf, you’ll know that miso corn steals the show. That combination of sweet, salty, and umami feels like the very essence of late summer.
Smoke & Fire (Aubergine)
This one’s not live on the blog yet, but it deserves its place in the diary. I made a harissa chicken dish with feta, hot honey, grilled aubergine, a hazelnut crumb, and a miso sesame salad. It was smoky, punchy in the right places and rather delicious to eat!
Aubergine loves a bit of fire, and this month mine have been spending plenty of time under the grill until meltingly soft. Let me know if you’d like me to publish this recipe!
Sweet Messiness (Peaches)
I couldn’t resist photographing these peaches at Gloucester services — too perfect not to capture before I inevitably ate half the basket in the car park!
They’ve been sliced into salads with rocket and burrata, grilled with honey and ricotta, and even made into a Peach Tarte Tatin! Honestly, mostly eaten just as they are. Sometimes the best thing you can do with seasonal fruit is absolutely nothing at all!
Mexican Moments (Summer Salsa)
Some things just are August on a plate – and this Summer Salsa is one of them. Juicy tomatoes, sharp red onion, fiery chilli, a squeeze of lime – the lind of medley that instantly makes everything zingier, fresher, more alive.
I’ve been piling it onto my Seared Prawns with Avocado Cream and Summer Salsa the cool avocado cream against that zingy salsa is exactly the balance you want on a hot day. It’s simple, it’s summery, and it turns a weeknight dinner into a sharing celebration.
By September, the kitchen will calm down again. But for now, August is loud, juicy, and plentiful, it brings the kind of food that insists on a glass of wine in hand and good company nearby. And honestly? That’s how I want to remember it: messy plates, stained fingers, and everything tasting just a little too good.
