Photo: Harriet Smith

What do you do with a glut of cucumbers? One caller to BBC radio suggested always taking a cucumber on holiday in case it’s needed to replace a missing bath plug!

For those of us who’ve spent the summer at home in Cornwall, here’s a quick cucumber relish from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall via the Guardian and an easy cucumber pickle from Simon Hulstone of The Elephant Restaurant in Torquay. Both are delicious with barbecued or roasted meat and fish, or patés.

Hugh’s marinated cucumber with mint
1 medium-large cucumber (350-400g)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the cucumber (or leave the skin on, if you prefer), halve it lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Slice into thick half-moons. Put in a dish with the vinegar, oil, mint and a pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper. Toss together thoroughly, then set aside in a cool place (but not the fridge) for 15-30 minutes. Toss again before serving.

Simon’s cucumber pickle
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
600ml water
2 cloves
1 cardamon pod
4 black peppercorns
½tsp caraway seeds, toasted
½tsp mustard seeds
small bay leaf
1 sprig tarragon
30g salt
50g chardonnay (or white wine) vinegar

Heat the water up to boiling point with all the ingredients except the cucumber and vinegar. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once the liquor is cold, add the vinegar. Put the sliced cucumber into a kilner jar and cover with the vinegar mix. Leave until required, keeping longer will improve the taste.

A conversation on Facebook reminds me of this delicious method of making tomato soup from Felicity Cloake in the Guardian. Roasting the tomatoes first gives it an exquisite, deep flavour. Best made with the freshly-harvested tomatoes, basil and onions from Camel CSA’s veg boxes. Excellent warm or cold.

Serves: 4
Preparation/cooking time (mostly roasting): 1½ hours

Ingredients
1kg ripe tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of sugar
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Small bunch basil, separated into leaves and stalks
600ml chicken stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 tbsp creme fraiche
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 190C and cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Arrange, cut-side up, in a baking dish, drizzle with half the oil and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bake for about an hour, until softened and beginning to char around the edges.
Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 7 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, chop the basil stalks, and then add to the pan and cook for another minute.
Add the tomatoes, plus any juices from the dish, to the pan along with the stock. Stir and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover and leave to simmer for 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Leave to cool slightly.
Use a blender to purée the soup, then stir in the vinegar and creme fraiche, and season to taste. Reheat gently, while you tear the basil leaves into pieces, then serve with these and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Another easy summer dish that can be assembled in no time at all, using vegetables and herbs in Camel CSA’s seasonal weekly veg boxes. Thanks to allrecipes.co.uk

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
No cooking!

Ingredients
6 tomatoes, diced
1 small cucumber – peeled, quartered lengthways and chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
15g fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy this delicious, spicy Indian omelette at the start or the end of the day. This version (there are many) comes from the Edible Garden. Kerala-born food blogger Nags (Nagalakshmi V ) says: “Needless to say, the omelette has many forms in India and every household makes it differently. Even I have a few variations… depending on what I have in the pantry and vegetable tray.”

As I didn’t have any sweet pepper to hand, I used some freshly-cooked French beans along with the tomatoes and coriander in Camel CSA’ s veg boxes this week.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 eggs
3 tbsp of shallots or minced onions
3 tbsp of finely chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp of finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped (see notes)
3 tbsp of finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp of curry powder or garam masala
1/2 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)
2 tsp of oil

Method
Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add all other ingredients (except oil) and beat again.

Heat the oil in a small pan and swirl around so it coats it completely. Pour half the egg mixture in the pan and cook until the edges curl over and the centre bubbles up. Gently flip the omelette over and cook for another minute (the centre may be jiggly but the edges would have cooked). The omelette will rise a bit and then fall, making it fluffy and soft.

Add more pepper powder on top if you prefer. Serve hot with toast / ketchup or eat on its own.

There are lots of cucumbers in the polytunnel, so we’re on the lookout for different ways to prepare them.

Nigel Slater says: “I know this sounds extraordinary, but [this] is the crispest, most refreshing fruit salad imaginable… summer in a bowl. And if you really can’t handle the idea of cucumber, then it is jolly good with strawberries and banana.” (via The Observer)

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes in fridge

Ingredients
For the syrup:
3 tbsp honey
10 mint leaves
5 tbsp elderflower cordial

2 cucumbers
450g medium strawberries

Method
Put the honey, mint and elderflower syrup into a blender and blitz to a thick, fragrant syrup. If you don’t have a blender, chop the mint very, very finely, mix it with the honey and cordial, then leave it for an hour. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin to remove the mint.

Peel the cucumbers, slice them in half down their length, then scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon. Dice the flesh finely and put it in a large bowl. Remove the leaves from the strawberries, slice the fruit in half and toss gently with the cucumber.

Pour the mint and elderflower syrup into the fruit, stir very gently, then leave for about 30 minutes, in the fridge and covered, before serving.

Another quick, easy vegetarian dish for those of us who don’t feel much like cooking on a hot day. It comes from a delightful Rome-based food blog – Rachel Eats. Make it with some Cornish free-range eggs and the courgettes and basil in Camel CSA’s veg boxes this week.

Rachel says this is “a quiet and familiar lunch” which she makes a lot. If the courgettes have flowers attached, they should be washed, patted dry and torn into strips before cooking.

Serves 2
Preparation/cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
200g good dried spaghetti, linguine or fettucine
2 tbsp olive oil
(optional – 60g pancetta or guanciale, diced)
a small red onion peeled and cut in thin half moons
2 medium courgettes, julienned (cut into matchsticks)
2 large fresh eggs
20g freshly grated parmesan
20g freshly grated pecorino
freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh basil leaves
good extra virgin olive oil and more grated parmesan for on top

Method
“While your pasta is cooking you fry your onion until golden brown (if you are using guanciale you fry that first and then add the onion and fry for a couple more minutes.) Then you add the fine strips of courgette (and courgette flowers), stir and allow them to wilt. While the wilting is happening you beat 2 whole eggs with some finely grated parmasan and pecorino and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.

“Now, drain the pasta but save a little of the cooking water, then tip the hot pasta and a small ladleful of the reserved water into the pan with the onion and courgette – toss everything together. Next add the egg mixure to the pan along with the ripped basil leaves, remove the pan from the heat and stir everything together firmly but gently so the sauce thickens.”

Another easy 10-minute meal – vital in the present heatwave – this time from Allegra McEvedy (via Guardian Cook). Try it with with the peas, broad beans and basil in Camel CSA’s veg boxes this week.

She says: This has long been my top fall-back supper: warming, nutritious, quick and indisputably yum-a-licious. Without meaning to sound like a smartypants… a decent [homemade] stock is both the vital background and making of this dish – cube or concentrate just won’t do on this occasion.”

Serves 2
Preparation / cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
500ml chicken stock
150g ready-made tortellini
A few slices of red chilli (optional)
2 handfuls of seasonal veg such as mange tout or sugar snaps, roughly sliced; courgette, diced; peas or broad beans; french beans cut into batons; or broccoli cut into tiny florettes
A large handful of summer herbs, such as basil, mint and parsley
Lemon juice, to taste

To finish
Parmesan, grated
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Method
Warm up the stock and, once steaming, drop in the tortellini and pop a lid on the pan. After 3-4 minutes, and when just cooked, add the veg of your choice. When the stock has come back to a simmer, turn the heat off and stir in most of the herbs, some seasoning and a little lemon juice to taste.

Ladle into warm, wide bowls and finish with a flourish of grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and the last of the herbs.

This is a 10-minute meal from Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall via Guardian Cook that uses the beans or peas from Camel CSA’s veg boxes this week. Hugh says: “Broad beans are among my favourite vegetables and this dish makes the most of them. Fresh baby peas are a great, similarly fast-cooking alternative, and you could use bacon in place of the chorizo.”

Serves 2
Preparation / cooking time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients
250g baby broad beans
1 tbsp olive oil
100g cooking chorizo, sliced or diced
Sourdough, toasted

Method
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, throw in the broad beans or peas and cook for just 2 minutes, then drain them well. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the chorizo and fry for a minute or so until lightly crisp. Throw the drained beans or peas into the pan with the chorizo and toss for a minute, so the beans are heated through and coated with the delicious, spicy red oil. Serve at once, with bread, or piled on to toasted garlic-rubbed sourdough as a bruschetta.

• Simple ways with broad beans

This particular herb-infused oil is a favourite of  Jekka McVicar, owner of Jekka’s Herb Farm near Bristol which hosts the largest collection of culinary herbs in the UK.

Basil oil is delicious used in salad dressings and marinades. You can also try swapping the basil for lemon balm, fennel leaves or sweet marjoram.

Jekka says: “As soon as you open the bottle on a cold winter’s day the aroma alone wafts hot summer through the kitchen.” Her recipe comes via the excellent West Country FoodLover magazine (complimentary copies go into Camel CSA’s veg boxes every month).

Preparation time: 30 minutes (spread over a month!)

Ingredients
250ml mild olive oil
One good handful of fresh basil leaves

Method
Tear the leaves into a bowl. Pour over the olive oil so they are well immersed and below the surface of the oil. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in a warm position – a sunny windowsill is ideal. Stir weekly, keeping the leaves immersed.

After a month, strain the oil through unbleached coffee filters, Place a few basil leaves for both identification and decoration in a clear, sterile bottle. Pour in the oil, seal and place in a cupboard.

• More about basil and how to make a lemon basil cocktail on Jekka’s blog

Yes – you can cook lettuce, provided the leaves are firm, crisp ones. There are cos/romaine lettuce leaves in Camel CSA’s mixed salad bags in this week’s boxes. 

This is a side dish from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the Guardian. Hugh says: “It’s based on the delicious petits pois à la française, only it’s more petites pommes de terre. A little later in the season, you could throw in a handful of baby peas near the end of cooking.”

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
25g butter
A trickle of olive or rapeseed oil
1 onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
350g new potatoes, cleaned and cut into 2-3cm pieces
About 400ml hot chicken stock
½ large head of romaine or 2 little gem lettuces, shredded
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, let it sweat for about 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for two minutes more. Add the potatoes and about 250ml of stock, bring to a simmer and cook, half-covered, for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spuds are tender. Add a little more stock if you need to, but the idea is to end up with reasonably well-reduced juices, so don’t go mad.

Add the shredded lettuce and a little more stock, stir, cover and cook for four to five minutes, until the lettuce is wilted. Season to taste and serve.

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