Refreshing summer salads

In this light dish from tasha's, the aubergine is sliced very thin, fried until very crisp and then layered with a lentil salsa and topped with creamy avocado

Chef Helen Graham, of Middle Eastern London restaurant Bubala, presents fresh ideas for a vibrant summery spread of exciting dishes bursting with bright colours and bold flavours

Chef Helen Graham, of Middle Eastern London restaurant Bubala, presents fresh ideas for a vibrant summery spread of exciting dishes bursting with bright colours and bold flavours

Chef Helen Graham, of Middle Eastern London restaurant Bubala, presents fresh ideas for a vibrant summery spread of exciting dishes bursting with bright colours and bold flavours

Chef Helen Graham, of Middle Eastern London restaurant Bubala, presents fresh ideas for a vibrant summery spread of exciting dishes bursting with bright colours and bold flavours

Chef Helen Graham, of Middle Eastern London restaurant Bubala, presents fresh ideas for a vibrant summery spread of exciting dishes bursting with bright colours and bold flavours

Annie Bell shares prep-ahead Provençal dishes that's just the thing for summertime socialising 

Chef Eyal Shani shares this prosciutto-like oven-baked carpaccio recipe from Lilienblum in Shoreditch

A fresh salad with a lovely mix of summer tomatoes and strawberries

A simple seafood salad from chef Rowley Leigh 

This classic salad is prepared with spinach or mallow. The latter is almost impossible to find fresh outside Morocco, but if you are using it, the leaves have to be steamed for 15-30 minutes before being added to the pot. You can also use fresh chard.

If you’ve been grilling something that needs to rest, you’ll be able to cook this while you are waiting

This is another dish that you might not associate with the BBQ but it’s so easy to cook and makes a lovely light summer lunch.

Manteca chef Chris Leach shares this vivid spring recipe loaded with nutrients and flavour

In this extract from his third solo cookbook – 'Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower', River Cottage’s head chef Gill Meller shares this delicious recipe for a salad with roasted aubergines and courgettes

Sweet crab is a classic seaside flavour. If you boil and pick your own, 2 x 500g crabs should be enough.

Tomatoes, halloumi, good bread – what’s not to like? The honey-and-thyme-glazed halloumi is very special, and the purple-pink thyme flowers add beauty and flavour.

A fresh salad with a lovely mix of summer tomato varieties and sheep's cheese

Mark Diacono shares his recipe for a spicy herb and noodle salad, packed with basil, mint and coriander and topped with roasted peanuts

Refreshing notes of lime and chilli will make any late-summer salad taste good, but if you add a fragrant mix of herbs, it can taste sublime. I have used mint and chives, and Thai basil to add an exotic note, but you can vary this according to availability and try adding edible flowers.