I am linking this in to Celia's monthly In My Kitchen event at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.
In my kitchen, there are true signs of summer.
I have tomatoes, stored on the window ledge to stop the refrigerator from cutting their flavour.
They make a great base for a simple weekend lunch (pictured below with kale and basil, and sides of potato bread and apricots).
In my kitchen there are strawberries, and rather a lot of them at that.
I also have blackberries, which before this year I hadn't had fresh. They are incredible and I struggled not to eat a large punnet in one sitting (with great restraint I managed it over two sittings). The fact it only cost £1 ($2) made things even more incredible. England is a great country for berries!
I've also had apricots and peaches, which are so delectably sweet - nothing like their winter counterparts.
Slightly heartier are some new-to-me vegan products from Tesco.
The nut cutlets have been around for a while, but it took a special offer for me to try them. I wasn't a great fan, but did love the sweet potato falafel. I like having packs like this in the freezer for emergency mid-week meals.
Tesco has also added vegan fromage frais to their range, although from the packaging I think it is aimed at children! I was hoping it would be like Australian Fruche, but it's closer to yoghurt. It's creamy and delicious semi-frozen though.
My kitchen has also seen my first green smoothie for the season...
...and a few tubs of Almond Dream ice cream. Waitrose sells them, although they are rather pricey. There is a Waitrose near Mr Bite's work so if I'm lucky he brings me tubs home. This praline crunch variety was bought on a joint shopping trip and is the first time I've had the flavour. It's great!
What is happening in your kitchen this month?
looks like you are having the best of both worlds with great summer fruit and veg and some interesting grocery items too - would be interested to taste the nut cutlets as I am quite fascinated by them but hope tesco isn't making them taste so odd that they put people off the idea. I am particularly fond of british berries - no wonder they are so easy to eat because I always find them so much better than the aussie ones (though I am not sure I would say the same of apricots)
ReplyDeleteAh, apricots are my first fruit love - although they are in danger of being overtaken now by berries :-) Tesco's nut cutlets weren't bad, just a bit dry and in need of sauce - I much preferred the variation of your recipe I've tried before.
DeleteLove your warming summer fruits! Please send some warm weather our way as we are freezing in Adelaide! :)
ReplyDeleteI love blackberries and they always remind me of fond childhood memories!
Thanks also Kari for this month's kitchen view!
Today's warm weather is rainy and 12'C if that helps :P I hope you have warming things to make up for the Adelaide cold!
DeleteThanks for stopping by :-)
Such amazing produce in your kitchen. I love a kitchen full of colour and fresh fruit. I have strawberry envy.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling rather lucky with my berry supplies!
DeleteI am so happy that strawberries are coming back in season and they are finally starting to taste good again!
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteYay for summer! Love all the fruit you've been eating....we've been hoarding it as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just me :D
DeleteWow those blackberries are a great price! I've got a few wild bushes in my garden and they're covered in buds. It'll be a good few months before the berries appear but all the signs are pointing to a bumper crop this year :)
ReplyDeleteThe Almond Dream ice cream sounds so delicious! I've yet to try the Almond Dream or the Booja Booja range. Maybe I should treat myself to a tub for my birthday next week ;)
I want my own blackberry bush now :-) But while you're waiting for your berries, I think you should definitely treat yourself to an Almond Dream or Booja Booja tub for your birthday!
DeleteYou're in for a treat later this summer when blackberries are in full swing and you can go picking! I'm still working my way through last year's huge haul! I haven't tried Almond Dream ice cream yet but I am interested in that praline crunch flavour...
ReplyDeleteYou have filled me with such excitement at the prospect of berry picking! I shall definitely be looking to do that!
DeleteWhat a great roundup. Your summer produce makes me wistful for the warm weather - we have just entered winter in earnest.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd being in the opposite hemisphere now - hopefully your warm desserts like pecan pie are making up for the temperatures :-)
DeleteYes, berries in the UK are wonderful. By the end of summer you'll see hedgerows full of blackberries there for the taking. Even in the most dense urban environments, there's always a piece of unused wasteland with a rogue blackberry bush. Sweet Potato Felafel? I could polish a dozen off right now!
ReplyDeleteAlways interesting to see what's happening. xxx
I am so excited at the idea of rogue blackberry bushes! Definitely a new concept to me :D
Deletegosh that all looks good-- freezing here in Melbourne but that ice cream is very appealing!
ReplyDeleteIce cream can be eaten in any temperature :-)
DeleteOh Kari, I will be visiting the UK soon, so I can't tell you how happy I am to see signs of summer! It was minus 7 deg C here this morning. Love all your goodies! Happy cooking xo
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, -7'C! That really is freezing. I think it's safe to say you'll find the UK warm even if we don't manage sunshine for your visit!
DeleteIt does look very summery and I am envious. Winter has arrived here very early and it's so much colder than usual. We're shivering here. I love the look of the berries and strawberries and apricots - apricots are such a sign of summer xx
ReplyDeleteThey are - and I am sorry your signs of summer are rapidly disappearing. You'll have to plan some more winter breaks to sit near countryside fires :)
DeleteYou do always seem to have lovely fruit . It's very exciting that it is getting warm for you. I bet you are looking forward to summer.
ReplyDeleteFor the first time since childhood, I am! (I didn't look forward to Perth summers!)
DeleteI love all that summery goodness in your kitchen while we are here rugged up with the heating on. The fruit has such gorgeous colours.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how vibrant produce can be :-)
DeleteI love blackberries! When we were little and would go down to Co. Mayo for a week or two, we'd go out and collect blackberries. So sweet and good. Mam would make tons of jam from them, too! Mad jealous of you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely image from your childhood. I bet that jam was delicious!
DeleteKari, your post is pretty, healthy, and tasty! The sweet potato falafel sounds like a good thing to have on hand, too. I keep one or two gluten free dairy free "single serving entrees" in my freezer for when I can't think of what I want to cook. Nice to have some alternatives at the ready!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is! I think we all run out of time to cook from scratch sometimes :-)
DeleteWhat a treat, Kari! As you know, berries are so expensive here in Australia! :) We try to keep our tomatoes out too - as you say, they seem to lose their flavour in the fridge. x
ReplyDeleteOoh, thank you for the tip about the sweey potato falafel! In a household with a meater eater, a 'veggie' who eats fish, and a budding vegan that's the kind of quick solution that would keep everyone happy methinks.
ReplyDeleteI keep my tomatoes in the fridge to prolong their life, but pull them out a few hours before I want to use them, they don't seem to lose too much flavour.
In my kitchen there's wild fennel ... my post is finally up :)
Oh summer fruits! I'm envious, I do so love apricots, but those berries look amazing too. Tomatoes on the windowsill have amazing flavour don't they!
ReplyDeleteI love having some frozen meals on standby for the nights when I'm tempted to get take away instead of cooking.
That ice-cream looks interesting. Yum! :)