Your July Store Cupboard

July is in full swing and, much to our surprise, the sun has decided to make a regular appearance in our sweaty London skies. And when the sun comes out at KTP HQ, there’s one thing that’s in regular supply in the office (apart from the odd lobster-faced sunbathing disaster): ice cream, and lots of it. This month at Kitchen Table Projects, we’ve been scouring the web for some fruity iced treats to cool us off when the temperature reaches more significant figures.  And what makes a better treat than one that uses some great seasonal British fruit? Cherries, raspberries, blueberries, as well as last month’s strawberry are all great examples of British produce that are best eaten in July. We think this Raspberry Ripple ice cream looks far too tasty to resist, and it’s really simple to make too- you don’t have to own a fancy ice cream maker, and only takes half an hour to whip up (although you’ll need to wait 3 hours to freeze before you tuck in!) Once you’ve mastered the ripple, you could have a go at this slightly more adventurous blueberry ice cream, but if you fancy a real challenge, then this cherry ripple and almond crunch ice cream makes for a fun, boozy alternative to its raspberry sister. You’ll need an ice cream maker for both of these recipes, but don’t worry, you won’t need to spend a fortune to ignite your inner ice cream connoisseur. Available in a few sizes, we think this offering from Magimix would do just the trick, or opt for this more purse-friendly alternative from Andrew James. They’re pretty easy machines to get the hang of- you’ll be calling yourself Mr Whippy in no time! We think ice cream is great, but when the temperature does hit over 25 degrees, we’ll be making a batch of these artisan ice lolly’s from the guys at the London based Ice Kitchen. We’ll definitely be trying the Strawberries and Cream variety, but on a hot friday afternoon after work, the only thing on our minds will be these Mojito lollys- the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

We’re bound to get brain freeze from eating all these iced goodies, but there’s loads of other (slightly warmer) ways to be eating seasonally this July. Don’t be fooled into thinking that apples only make an appearance in the Autumn, as the British Bramley apple waits ready to be picked and devoured throughout July. Rather than whipping up the favourite Blighty apple pie, we’ve been popping on our aprons and baking a batch of these Bramley and Walnut scones. While they’re perfect with a dollop of clotted cream and some raspberry jam (FYI, we’re firmly in the ‘cream first, jam second’ scone-etiquette camp), we think they’re just as good spread with butter and enjoyed with a cuppa. And if the sun does disappear (which, let’s face it, is probably fairly likely), we think that this sausage and apple bake would be just thing to cheer up a rainy Sunday afternoon indoors.

We love supporting British growers, and understand how important it is to eat locally sourced produce- but that doesn’t stop us from indulging in the odd exotic treat from time to time. Apricots, Melon, Kiwi Fruit, Nectarine and Peach may all be imported into our supermarkets, but if you are going to eat them, now is the time. They’re super juicy, super sweet, and super delicious, either greedily gobbled up on their own or in a sweet dish to be devoured in the  sunshine. To make sure you get the freshest fruit from reliable and ethical sources head to your local fruit and veg market- our London faves have to be Borough, Brixton and Marylebone.

What have you been eating this month? Tweet us @KitchTablePro with the hashtag #EatFresh

Picture by Flickr User Padsyms and WikiCommons User NobbiP