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July: Seasonal Foods

Cucumber

Cucumber

For a vegetable that’s made up of over 90% water, it’s surprising what a great ingredient the humble cucumber can be. Chuck them into salads for added crunch, or even a few slices into your glass of water and their classic, crisp taste shines through. The phytonutrients in cucumbers provide them with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits, and they’re also a good source of vitamin K, which is great for your heart health and preventing blood clotting. For a real thirst quencher, whip up a batch of our cucumber lemonade.

To see our Cucumber Lemonade recipe, click here.

Watermelon

Watermelon

Melons come in all different shapes, sizes and flavours, but there’s something about the watermelon in particular that tastes like summer. This fruit is a great healthy choice when you’re looking for something to hit the sweet tooth.Watermelon gets its fantastic colour from the lycopene present in the flesh. As well as eating watermelons, many take lycopene as a supplement to help prevent heart disease, cancer, cataracts and asthma. Although it makes the perfect summers’ day dessert, our salad recipe is bound to be a talking point at your next al fresco BBQ.

To see our Watermelon Salad recipe, click here.

Beetroot

Beetroot

The wonderful beetroot – bold in colour, and in nutritional benefits too. Beets are a fantastic detoxing ingredients, and contain iron, calcium, magnesium, beaten, B vitamins and antioxidants. They’re great for keeping your liver healthy, as well as your gallbladder and digestive system too. Eat it cooked or pickled to reap the nutrition rewards, but raw and with the leaves included is best. Our recipe for risotto is a great way to brighten any dinner table. If you’re really looking for a healthy alternative, swap the risotto rice for beetroot itself; throw some cooked beets into a food blender and blitz them into grain-like chunks.

To see our Beetroot Risotto recipe, click here.

Samphire

Samphire

Never heard of samphire before? If you’re a seafood or fish lover, this is the perfect accompanying ingredient. Also known as sea asparagus, sea beans or salicornia, if you’re really trying to show off to your swanky friends, samphire can be bought in most fishmongers or at the fish counter in supermarkets. It’s crunchy and salty, and can be enjoyed hot or cold, in salads, sauces or as a side vegetable. Samphire is low in fat and calories, and high in vitamin A, as well as being a good source of vitamin C, calcium, iodine and iron. Try it out in this recipe with your favourite fish.

To see our Panfried Sole with Shrimp and Samphire recipe, click here.

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