SUMMER HEIGHTS

Make the most of fresh produce with inspiring recipes from Samuel Goldsmith, plus tips on how to grow your own from Emma Crawforth of BBC Gardeners' World

- Samuel Goldsmith

When the sun is shining in the summer months, it's easy to feel a little guilty if you're not spending all your spare time outside. But, even if you don't have a lot of outside space, you can still enjoy the seasonal produce on offer. The broad bean pasta is seasonal comfort in a bowl, making good use of broad beans' best assets. Their vibrant green colour - often hidden away inside their grey-ish skins - and sweet, nutty flavour are a refreshing pairing with creamy ricotta and zesty lemon. I prefer to peel broad beans, which seems like extra effort, but can be just about done in the time it takes the pasta to boil. To do this easily, squeeze the flesh out of the skins with gentle encouragement. There will be no judgement if you'd rather leave the skins on, but there will be a slightly bitter flavour and chewier texture.

One of the biggest notable improvements when it comes to the summer months is the quality of tomatoes: there's nothing quite like a ripe tomato eaten straight from the garden. My dad has been growing them for years, and provides the immediate family with a generous glut - my grandfather being the most satisfied consumer. I prefer to make the most of their flavour using them raw, especially with nduja, the spicy Calabrian spreadable pork sausage. While many of us struggle with the pronunciation of nduja, it's luckily very easy to enjoy its flavour. I've used it as a base for the tomatoes in a twist on classic Italian bruschetta. My grandfather would leave out everything but the bread, tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of salt, if he was making it.

If you don't grow your own gooseberries, their season is incredibly short, usually from late-June to late-August. They're not a very commonly eaten fruit (most likely due to their short season), so if you're new to them, a pudding is a great way to give them a try. I've incorporated them into a cheesecake as it's such a crowd-pleasing dessert.