We combine our five favourite summer-fresh ingredients in easy recipes that take the guesswork out of hot-weather meals.


Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 lb campari-style tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves, divided
• 4 8-inch flatbreads
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
• 1 cup chopped baby spinach
• 4 oz bocconcini cheese, torn into 12 pieces
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1 In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook over a gentle heat for about 25 minutes, until the tomatoes break apart and become saucy. Remove from the heat, add half the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

2 Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any spills. Place the flatbreads directly onto the centre rack of the oven and bake for about 3 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. Remove the flatbreads from the oven and top each with ¼ cup of the tomato sauce, corn and spinach. Add 3 pieces of bocconcini and 2 tbsp of Parmesan to each.

3 Use a large spatula to return the flatbreads to the centre oven rack. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crusts are crisp and nicely browned.

4 Pull out the oven rack and slide the pizzas onto individual cutting boards. Sprinkle each pizza with the remaining basil and cut into slices to serve.

Makes 4 pizzas.
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp honey mustard
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Maldon sea salt
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 12 coloured cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
• 1 avocado, cut into chunks
• 1 lb chopped rotisserie chicken
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions
1 Whisk together the honey mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt in a small bowl.

2 Arrange the baby spinach on a large platter and top with the tomatoes, corn, avocado and chicken.

3 Sprinkle with the blue cheese and basil. Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

Serves 4.
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 free-range organic eggs
• ½ cup 2% milk
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
• 1-½ cups fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
• ⅓ cup diced vine-ripened tomato
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp sliced green onions
• 1 cup baby spinach, cut into ribbons

For smoky aioli

• ½ cup real mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp smoked paprika

Directions
1 Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and the milk in a large bowl. Whisk in the flour and salt to form a smooth, thick batter. Gently fold in the corn, tomato, feta, basil, green onions and baby spinach.

2 Immediately drop ¼ cup batter per fritter into the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden. Turn over and cook for about 45 seconds more, until the fritters are cooked through.

3 In a small bowl, make the aioli by stirring together all the ingredients. Serve the fritters warm with a dollop of aioli.

Makes 8 corn fritters.
Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup minced shallot
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 2 lbs fresh ricotta cheese
• 6 free-range organic eggs
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and the shallot until fragrant and sizzling but not brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the spinach, stirring gently to coat evenly with the garlic oil. Cook until just wilted and bright green. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool. Remove the spinach and squeeze with your hands to remove the excess liquid; set aside.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in the basil, corn and cooked spinach. Spoon the mixture into a 12-cup ovenproof casserole dish. Top with the grape tomatoes and feta.

3 Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the casserole is set in the middle and just brown at the edges. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.
Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pkg fresh lasagna noodles, about 6 sheets
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 4 oz soft chèvre, crumbled
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
• Maldon sea salt and black pepper

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Stir together the cherry tomatoes, garlic slices and olive oil in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the cherry tomatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are wilted and slightly shrivelled and the garlic is golden and caramelized.

2 Meanwhile, stack 3 lasagna sheets on top of each other and cut across the short side into 1" ribbons. Set a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove for the pasta. When the water is boiling, cook the pasta for 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pot along with ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and the butter. Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic, the corn and the spinach and warm through. Gently stir in the chèvre and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

A meal just isn't complete wtihout something sweet. Indulge in the warm weather and try one of our sweet summer dessert recipes.