The things I love - July

Welcome to July’s ‘First Thursday’ newsletter, a celebration of the good things this month. Can I start by asking, if you enjoy this newsletter ‘like’ it by pressing the heart, or share it with anyone you think might be into it?

This is the time. The time when all the things I love the most are here. We all know this is the time of plenty. It's not news to anyone, but it's still a THRILL. Let’s lean in. Watermelon, cherries, big juicy tomatoes, icy cold cucumbers, apricots, all the herbs, little courgettes, the last of the peas and broad beans and the first of the runners and green beans. Grapes are coming, so is corn. It's truly the golden time. GOLDEN. This is when my cooking turns from cooking to assembling because when food/life/things are this good, the less done with them the better. This week I have eaten tomatoes with nectarines, herbs and mozz, twice. Cherries with yoghurt, honey and almonds (in tomorrow's newsletter), more cherries on ice, iced cucumber dip. Tomatoes, eggs and ricotta three times.

There are a few restaurants and chefs who have truly had a hand in shaping how we eat now. High on that list for me would be Sam and Sam Clark from Moro. In the late 90s, they were cooking food from Spain, Morocco and beyond that was not very visible in London at the time. Their food was pivotal in shaping how many cooks of my generation and I cook. Moro celebrates 30 (!!) years this year. To celebrate, they have invited some alumni back to cook Sunday lunch. I went a couple of weeks ago when Jacob Kennedy from Boca di Lupo was in the kitchen with Sam & Sam, and it was such a great meal. It felt like being at a good friend’s wedding, everyone chatting and celebrating food and life and connection. Go. Still to come are Olly Templeton of Carousel, Ellen Parr of my local Lucky and Joy and Tim Siadatan of Trullo (who I used to cook with as well).

This magical little booklet came through my letterbox this morning and my main focus now is planning my first ice cream crawl with Dylan. It’s a very portable pocket-sized guide to London’s best ice cream, written by Ruby Tandoh - the author of All Consuming. Ruby eats all the bad ice cream so that we don’t have to. A significant public service, thanks Ruby.

I would very much recommend you buy one, but until then a my favourite places to eat/buy ice cream are…..

Below for my paid subscribers are my ice cream reccs, a holiday eating ticklist (what I will be doing instead of sight seeing), my forever tip for always finding a good restaurant on holiday wherever you are. Tomorrow, free for everyone, is a takeover from Nour Yakoob of nuun Cakes and a really good cherry recipe.