A west coast ice cream treat idea
Take a scoop from your favourite tub of ice cream (Kohu Road damson plum, here) and two cookies (I Love Baking coconut chocolate chunk, here) to make a delicious ice-cream sandwich, with memories of west coast summer travels…..
A blueberry ice cream idea
Take around 1 cup of frozen blueberries (or other frozen berries or chopped stone fruit), put into a blender with around 2 tablespoons of a sweetener of your choice (honey, maple syrup, a favourite cordial syrup), and 2 to 4 tablespoons of coconut or dairy yoghurt or cream. Whizz it all up, and eat straight away with some extra fresh berries on the side.
A blue cheese and summer berry salad idea
Top your favourite salad greens with blue cheese (from Puhoi Valley Cheese Company Kawau Blue used here), blueberries and stonefruit. Drizzle with olive oil (from Two Black Dogs used here) and balsamic vinegar or fig molasses (from Te Mata Figs used here).
A true New Zealand trifle idea
For the basic trifle ingredients, with a New Zealand twist. Here layers of Loaf lemon cake, soaked in Homegrown berry smoothie juice drink, covered with Ruth Pretty raspberry jam and then a Dollop Kitchen custard, all topped by whipped Lewis Road cream. Decorate with fresh berries and toasted nuts, with mint. Happy holidays…
A summer elderflower jelly idea
For a delicious and light summer dessert jelly idea, prepare gelatine according to its instructions, add to a pitcher of heated elderflower cordial and stir together well. Pour over blueberries in a serving bowl and refrigerate until set.
A sausage, bread and tomato salad idea
Bake cubed stale bread to make croutons. Remove sausage casings, break into pieces and cook through. Add croutons and cooked sausage pieces to a salad with tomatoes, fresh chopped spinach or chard, and red onion. Toss well with a dressing of olive oil, your favourite vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
An apricot and soft cheese idea
Stuff halved ripe apricots with soft fresh cheese (cows or goats) and top - with chilli, basil and nuts for a pre-dinner snack with drinks, or with dates and drizzled with honey or balsamic for a delicious dessert.
A tomato and nectarine salad idea
Slice some tomatoes and nectarines and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. We have topped ours here with basil leaves, and some toasted pine nuts.
Our Anna Pavlova pavlova idea
Our bright and breezy summer green pavlova (kiwifruit, grapes and mint, with vanilla cream) is shown here - inspired by thoughts of the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova, and, of course, her beautiful green flowered tutu.
And for some interesting, through the seasons, pavlova combinations: early spring - with poached rhubarb, orange zest and flaked almonds; autumn - with poached quinces, pears or caramelised apples, and scattered nuts; mid winter - with grapefruit and blood oranges with dried lavender flowers.
A strawberry chia seed jam idea
Blend a couple of cups of strawberries with a little lemon or lime juice (or pomegranate molasses) and a little sugar to taste. Stir in around four tablespoons of chia seeds and leave it to “set”, around 20 minutes. The seeds do the setting job of all that sugar that gets left out. Keep it in the fridge.
