One of the (many) joys of writing a cookery column is that the recipes can be 'of the moment', a fleeting idea, a temporary distraction from the home cooking we do week-in, week-out. I rather like the idea of recipes being ephemeral but others disagree, and want their cookery-writer's instructions to be preserved for ever, something to bring out each season when the right ingredients are around. That explains why I get so many letters requesting a copy of a recipe that has been accidentally thrown out, or stuck to the bottom of the saucepan, or used to line the kitty-litter tray.

I must admit that my squirrel store of past recipes is a chaotic mixture of crumbled tear-sheets and badly archived floppy discs. Many are lost forever. If you are lucky, I might be able to find a requested recipe, but it takes an age and too often the letter goes unanswered and then I feel guilty. Other writers churn out a cookery book each year with their recipes making a permanent record available to those who want to revisit a successful salad or a great cake. I adopt a more devil-may-care attitude and haven't written a cookery book for four years.

Some requests appear more regularly than others and with this in mind I have rummaged through my filing systems to retrieve them for this special Best of Summer issue. Some are your oft-requested favourites, one or two (like the grilled quail and the meringue with blackcurrant compote) are mine. A few are included because their ingredients are inextricably linked with high summer, such as grilled sardines and feta with artichokes. The orange water ice is included because of its delicate scent, like catching orange blossom on a breeze.

What we are likely to eat in the summer is linked more tightly with the weather than at any other time of the year. A surprise sunny day may well see us changing our plan for grilled salmon into one for cold salmon with mayonnaise. If clouds prevail the chicken we earmarked for a salad is likely to become chicken for a stir-fry and cold asparagus is only a hop and a skip away from a warm asparagus tart. In the winter it is more probable we will eat up our stodge, whatever the slight change in temperature. Most of the dishes I have included here are those which will appeal whether the sun is high in the sky or the day turns out to be a little cooler. I have done this only because this summer has been a little unpredictable. So the grilled quail is just as good cooked in the house as on the barbecue; the pasta with broad beans and ricotta is as delicately flavoured when served piping hot as it is when eaten at distinctly garden temperature. I may not have tracked down your own favourite summer Observer recipe, but I hope you enjoy them nevertheless.

1. Bruschetta

enough for 2
sourdough bread (or similar) - 4 slices, 1-1.5cm thick
large and juicy cloves of garlic - 2
extra virgin olive oil

Toast the bread on both sides till pale gold in colour, using either a hob-top grill pan, a barbecue or an overhead grill. The best results come from getting the grill really hot before you add the bread.

While the bread is toasting, place the garlic cloves on a chopping board, then press down on them hard with the flat side of a large kitchen knife so that they squash slightly and the skin cracks and is easy to peel off. As soon as the bread comes from the grill rub the garlic over one side, so that the juice lightly flavours the toast. Put the garlic-scented slices of toasted bread on to a plate then drizzle olive oil over them. Season lightly with sea salt.

2. Tomato bruschetta

serves 2
cherry tomatoes on the vine - 4 bunches, or 4 large ripe tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
bread - 4 slices
large and juicy cloves of garlic - 2

Put the tomatoes in a baking dish and pour a little olive oil over them, then roast in a hot oven (220 c/gas 7) till their skins start to blacken. Toast the bread till it is golden on both sides yet still quite soft in the centre, then crush the garlic cloves lightly and rub them over the surface of the toast, so it picks up some of the juice from the garlic. Pile the tomatoes on top and drizzle with oil, salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

3. Cannelini with coppa, spinach and mustard olives

enough for 2 as a light lunch
dried cannelini beans - 150g, soaked overnight
for the olives and dressing:
black olives - 100g
extra virgin olive oil - 5 tablespoons
smooth Dijon mustard - 1 tablespoon
chopped thyme leaves - 1 teaspoon
garlic - 2 small cloves
spinach or watercress - 4 handfuls of small tender leaves
thinly sliced coppa or other cured meat - 80g
fresh basil leaves - a loose handful, the thicker and more pungent the better

Cook the beans to tenderness in a large, deep pan of boiling, unsalted water. They will take anything from 25 to 60 minutes depending on their age and size. They are ready when you can easily crush them between finger and thumb, though they should retain a bit of 'bite'. Drain them and toss with the olives and dressing.

While the beans are cooking, mix the olive oil, and mustard with a fork in a small bowl, then whisk in the chopped thyme, crushed garlic and some salt and pepper. The dressing will be thick and creamy. Stone the olives, dropping each one into the mustard dressing as you go. Set aside for an hour or so for the flavours to marry.

When you are ready to eat, rinse the spinach in cold water and shake it dry, removing all but the very finest stems, then put it into a large serving dish. Peel any pieces of skin from the outside of the coppa, then shred the meat into thick matchstick-width ribbons. Put them in with the spinach, separating the strips as you go. Tear the basil into small pieces, scattering into the dish. Tip the beans, olives and dressing over, fold the ingredients gently together then serve with bread.

4. Grilled sardines with lemon oil and basil

serves 4 as a starter or light lunch
sardines - 16 large ones
olive oil
basil leaves - 12
lemon olive oil - 2 tablespoons

Remove the scales from the sardines with the back of a knife, slit each fish along the belly and scrape out the innards. Rinse. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and set aside for an hour. Brush the fish lightly with olive oil and grill on both sides until tender. The skin will blacken in patches. Lift fish carefully and place on a warm plate. Tear up the basil leaves and add to the lemon oil. Spoon oil over the fish while still hot; serve with crusty white bread.

5. Lemon and basil linguine

This is my take on a Genoese classic. What appeals is the sharpness of the lemon tempered by the Parmesan, and the warmth of the pasta gently bringing out the fragrance of the basil. Sumptuous yet simple. Grating 75g of Parmesan takes longer than you might think, but no longer than it takes for the pasta to cook. A 10-minute supper.
serves 2
dried linguine - 200g
juice from 1 large lemon
olive oil - 75ml
Parmesan - 75g, grated
basil leaves - 1 handful

Put a large pan of water on to boil. When it is bubbling furiously, salt it generously then add the linguine. Let it cook at an excited boil for about eight minutes.

Put the lemon juice, olive oil and grated parmesan in a warm bowl and beat briefly with a small whisk till thick and grainy. Tear up the basil and stir in with a grinding of black pepper. Drain the pasta and quickly toss in the lemon and Parmesan 'sauce'.

6. Garlic prawns

Good fishmongers, even some supermarkets now stock raw prawns in their shells. I serve them hot from the grill, with melted butter, salt and garlic, piling them in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. With people tearing off the shells and dipping their prawns in melted butter and salt there are few more tactile feasts.
serves 4
large raw prawns, shell on - 24-32
garlic - 3 or 4 large cloves
olive oil
butter - 100g
lemons - 2

Rinse the prawns and put them in a bowl. Peel and finely crush the garlic then add it to the prawns with a slug of olive oil. Toss the prawns to cover them in seasoned oil.

Cook them under a preheated grill till the shells have turned a brilliant orange pink. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small pan. Serve the hot prawns with the lemon, salt and the melted butter.

7. Prawn, avocado and dill salad

Elegantly sliced brown bread and butter would be perfect with this mild-mannered salad, or perhaps some crusty French bread.
serves 2
large prawns - 400g, raw if possible
perfectly ripe avocado - 1 large one
fresh watercress - 1 large bunch
for the dressing:
chopped dill leaves - 2 tablespoons
smooth Dijon mustard - 2 teaspoons
the juice of 1 lemon
olive oil - 60ml
water - 35ml

If you've been lucky enough to get hold of raw prawns drop them into boiling, salted water and leave till they turn pink - a matter of seconds. Cool under running water. Peel and remove the black vein that runs along their back. If you are using cooked prawns then remove their shells. Make the dressing by putting the dill into the jug of a blender; add mustard, lemon juice, a little salt, olive oil and water. Blitz to a green flecked cream, scoop into a bowl and add the prawns. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, peel and slice thickly. Mix with the dressed prawns. Wash the watercress, remove tough stalks and pile onto plates with the prawns and avocado on top.

8. Marinated feta and artichoke salad

During the summer you often see tiny globe artichokes, so small and tender you can eat the whole thing. I like them warm from the pot with just olive oil and lemon, but they are a good salad ingredient too. Their mild, almost nutty flavour works well with a salty cheese such as feta - though they are sublime with shaved Parmesan, too. Here I toss them with feta that has been marinated in olive oil and both fresh and dried herbs. Don't be put off by the sound of dried mint and oregano, they work well here. And yes, ready-cooked artichokes at the deli-counter work nicely as well.
serves 4
feta cheese - 500g
dried mint - 2 teaspoons
dried oregano - 1 tablespoon
fresh mint - the leaves from 1 small bunch
olive oil
baby artichokes - about 10

Break the feta cheese into large, jagged lumps. Add the chopped dried and fresh herbs to the olive oil with a grinding of black pepper but no salt. Pour the oil over the cheese and leave to marinate for three or four hours. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the artichokes, they will need about 10 minutes depending on their size. Drain them and slice in half. Mix them with the marinated cheese and serve with warm bread. If you are using ready-cooked artichokes then cut each in half and toss with the marinated cheese.

9. Steamed sea bass with cucumber and ginger

You will need a large steamer for this. I get by with a Chinese wicker basket suspended over a heavy casserole of boiling water in lieu of a fish kettle.
serves 1
sea bass - 1 small one
ginger - 1 piece, about 5cm long
cucumber - 1 piece, about 6cm long
spring onions - 2 large ones
limes - 2
light soy - 2 tablespoons
fish sauce - 1 tablespoon
stock (chicken, vegetable) - 200ml
a pinch of sugar
lemon grass - 2 plump stalks
coriander - 1 small bunch

Rinse the sea bass, checking that all the scales have been removed. Remove the head and score the fish deeply two or three times across its width. This will help the seasonings to permeate the flesh and encourage it to cook right through. Lay the prepared fish in a shallow, heatproof dish that will sit comfortably in your steamer.

Peel the ginger and cut it into fine shreds then scrape it into a bowl. Trim the spring onions, then cut them into fine shreds and add them to the ginger. Squeeze over the juice from one of the limes, add the soy and fish sauce, the stock and the sugar and mix together. Spoon this over the fish. Smash the lemon grass stalks with the back of a heavy knife and tuck them into the broth around the fish.

Lower the dish into the steamer basket and steam for 10-15 minutes until the fish will part easily from the bone. While the fish is cooking, slice the cucumber thinly then cut each slice into long shreds and add these to the fish half way through the cooking time. You want them to retain a bit of crunch.

Chop the coriander. Lift the dish from the steamer, scatter with the coriander and squeeze over the second lime.

10. Aïoli

There are many classic recipes for aïoli. The only detail that really changes is the quantity of oil per egg yolk. I find that most generally overstate the amount of oil the yolks will take. I start at 150ml per yolk, increasing it if I find the yolks are taking it comfortably. The idea is to get the mayonnaise as thick as you can, but certainly so thick that it holds its shape.
garlic - 4 plump and juicy cloves
large free-range egg yolks - 2
olive oil - at least 300ml
half a lemon

Peel the garlic cloves and put them in a mortar with a large pinch of sea salt. Crush them to a paste then stir in the yolks. You will have a sticky, shiny cream. Now pour in the olive oil very, very slowly at first, almost drop by drop, stirring as you do until the mixture starts to thicken. If you get impatient and add the oil too quickly you will never get it to thicken, believe me.

Once you have a small amount of thickening mayonnaise you can turn up the speed a little, adding the oil in a long, thin trickle, stirring all the time. Stop when you have a thick mayonnaise. It need not be so thick you could cut it with a knife, but it should be well on the way. Squeeze the lemon juice in at the end, still stirring. The colour will fade, but should be almost crocus yellow.

It will keep in a sealed tub in the fridge for several days. I say sealed because the garlic will curdle your milk.

11. Grilled chicken with salt, thyme and aïoli

This sauce can be used with any grilled fish or meat, but it is particularly good with chicken, lamb and steak. As to grilled vegetables, I'd definitely serve it with aubergines - I can think of few better accompaniments.
serves 2
boned chicken legs - 2
olive oil
thyme leaves - 1 tablespoon
aïoli (above) - 6 tablespoons
a little warmed chicken stock or water

Heat a griddle pan. Rub each of the boned chicken legs all over with a little olive oil and the thyme leaves. Lay each piece of chicken on the grill pan, skin-side down. Season with salt and black pepper. Leave the meat in place for a full three minutes, pressing down firmly with a palette knife. Turn the meat over and continue cooking for a further seven or eight minutes, by which time the meat should be a glossy golden brown on both sides, the flesh full of juice.

While the chicken is cooking, thin down the aïoli by putting it a bowl and beating in a little warm chicken stock or water. It should be thick enough that it will slide off the spoon.

When the chicken is cooked, crumble over some more sea salt and serve with a little aïoli on the plate and the rest in a bowl at the side.

12. Grilled quail with lemon, thyme and sea salt

A brace of hot, salty little birds to pick up and chew. Don't be scared to let the skin crisp and even blacken in places, as long as the meat inside stays juicy, even a little pink. Lemons and salt at the table are essential.
serves 4
quail - 8
olive oil - 3 tablespoons
crushed, dried chillies - 2 teaspoons
thyme leaves - 1 tablespoon

With a heavy knife or scissors, cut the birds through the backbone then push them out flat with your hand. This is easier than it sounds. Mix the olive oil, crushed chillies and thyme leaves with sea salt and black pepper. Massage the seasoned oil into the quail then set them aside, covered with any spare marinade, for a good hour.

Get the the grill or barbecue hot - a ridged, cast-iron grill pan will do - then cook the quail till they are golden and slightly charred here and there. Brush with any spare marinade (there won't be much) as you go. They should take about five or six minutes on each side, depending on the grill heat. Sprinkle them generously with salt, and a little more thyme if you wish, then serve with halves of lemon and finger bowls and napkins.

13. Tomatoes with St Marcellin

serves 2
basil - 2 bushy sprigs
tomatoes - 6 medium sized
St Marcellin or other easy-melting cheese - 3 small ones
olive oil

Return to the oven for five minutes or so until the cheese melts and some of it runs into the oil. Serve straight away, with hunks of crusty bread.

14. Lamb-filled flatbread

Loud flavours here, with spice-crusted lamb, garlic-scented yoghurt and the hot smokiness of ground paprika. A sandwich to eat outdoors.
makes 4
lamb - 1 whole fillet of
coriander seed - 1 teaspoon
cumin seed - 1 teaspoon
black peppercorns - 6
garlic - 3 cloves
olive oil - 3 tablespoons
for the yoghurt:
coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
mint leaves - a few sprigs
thick yoghurt - 200g
garlic - 2 cloves
to serve:
rocket or watercress - 4 handfuls
a few whole mint leaves
1 lemon
warmed flatbreads - 4
a little hot smoked paprika

Grind the coriander, cumin seed and black peppercorns to a rough powder with a pestle and mortar. Peel the garlic and mash it into the spices with the olive oil. Rub the paste all over the lamb fillet and set aside for an hour or two.

Make the yoghurt dressing by pulling the leaves from the herbs and finely chopping them. Stir them into the yoghurt. Peel and finely chop the garlic and add. Cover tightly and keep refrigerated till the kebabs are ready.

Heat the grill, barbecue or a ridged cast-iron grill pan. Season the lamb with salt and lay it on the grill and leave to brown nicely, a matter of five or six minutes then turn and cook till that side too is crusty and the inside a rosy pink. Set aside for a full five minutes to rest. Toss the rocket or watercress and whole mint leaves with lemon juice. Slice the lamb thickly then place two or three slices on a piece of warm flatbread together with a handful of salad and a large spoonful of yoghurt. Dust with a shake of paprika and roll up.

15. Pasta with broad beans, ricotta and mint

A mildly flavoured dish for summer. Finish with extra virgin olive oil and grated pecorino.
serves 2
broad beans in their pods - 750g
cloves of young garlic - 2
olive oil - 1 tablespoon
mint - 1 small bushy bunch
ricotta - 250g
pasta such as orecchiete - 250g
to serve:
extra virgin olive oil - at least 2-3 tablespoons
grated pecorino - a good 60g

Pop the beans from their pods, you should end up with about 250g, and cook till tender in lightly salted water. Seven to 10 minutes should do it. Drain the beans under cold water and remove the skin from any bigger than your thumbnail. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta. Peel and finely slice the garlic, put it in a shallow pan with the olive oil and let it soften without colouring over a moderate heat. Remove the mint leaves from their stems and chop them roughly, then stir into the garlic. Tip in the beans, the ricotta and the drained pasta and fold lightly with fork. Divide between two warm bowls, drizzle with olive oil and grated pecorino.

16. Baked red mullet with fennel and saffron

serves 2
red mullets - 2 medium or 4 small
waxy potatoes - 4
fennel - 2 medium heads
cloves of garlic - 2
rosemary - 2 large sprigs
bay leaves - 3
saffron stamens - 1 pinch
black olives - 12
a lemon
fish or vegetable stock - 250ml

Bring a deep pan of water to the boil then salt it. Wipe the potatoes, cut them in half lengthways, then drop them into the water. When they return to the boil turn down the heat to a simmer and let them cook until they are almost tender, a matter of 15 minutes or so.

Slice the fennel thinly - each piece should be about as thick as a pound coin. Pile into a shallow baking dish or roasting tin, then peel the garlic, slice it finely and tuck it among the fennel. Remove the potatoes from the heat and lay in the dish. Chop the rosemary leaves and add those too, together with the bay leaves, saffron stamens and olives. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Wipe the fish and season inside and out. Lay on top of the vegetables. Squeeze the lemon over. Pour on the stock and bake, uncovered at 200 c/gas 6 until the vegetables are tender and the fish is easy to part from its bones. It should take no more than 20-25 minutes. Spoon some of the vegetables onto plates, then place a fish on each and pour over the saffron-scented juices.

17. Blackcurrant compote

serves 4
blackcurrants, or a mixture of black and redcurrants - 400g
sugar - about 4 tablespoons depending on the sweetness of your fruit

Check the fruit over, removing any leaves or stems, and put it in a stainless-steel saucepan with the sugar. Bring it slowly to the boil. You shouldn't need any liquid, but if the fruit looks as if it is starting to stick, then add a tablespoon or two of water. When the fruit starts to burst remove from the heat and allow to cool.

18. Warm red fruit compote

serves 4
redcurrants - 225g
blackcurrants - 150g
sugar - 4 tablespoons
450g raspberries or loganberries

Put the currants, having first removed their stalks, into a stainless-steel saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and the sugar. Bring slowly to the boil.

When the currants start to burst and flood the pan with colour, tip in the loganberries or raspberries. Simmer for two minutes, no longer, then serve them warm in a white china dish with a bowl of ice cream.

19. Orange yoghurt water ice

The late-season Valencias are fine for this deeply refreshing ice. It complements any summer fruit, but especially lusciously ripe peaches and apricots. Perhaps the prettiest way to serve it is with the pale orange water ice surrounded by handfuls of dark red cherries from Kent still attached to their stalks.
serves 4-6
water - 350ml
caster sugar - 225g
very finely grated zest of 2 large unwaxed oranges
the juice of 4 more medium oranges
the juice of 2 lemons
thick natural yoghurt, preferably sheep's - 480g

Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a stainless-steel saucepan. The sugar only has to dissolve, so remove it from the heat as soon as you can no longer see the grains of sugar when you (gently) stir it. Mix in the grated orange zest and set aside to cool.

Mix the orange and lemon juice. In a large mixing bowl stir a little of the juice into the yoghurt to loosen it, then add the rest of the juice and mix thoroughly. I use a whisk for this. If lumps of yoghurt persist no matter, they will break down with the repeated whiskings later.

Pour the mixture into a freezer box and place in the freezer. Remove after two hours and whisk the mixture firmly with a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer, bringing the frozen edges into the middle. Now return it to the freezer for a further two hours, then repeat the whisking and freeze again.

When it is well on the way to freezing, after about a further two hours - beat the mixture one last time then freeze again. Once frozen, remove from the freezer about half an hour before serving.

If you are using an ice-cream machine, get the mixture really cold. Pour half of it into the drum of the machine. Let it churn till almost frozen. Remove quickly and place in the deep freeze.

20. Blackcurrant meringue

There is something quite irresistible about clouds of softly beaten cream and sugary, honey-coloured meringue. The textures work together perfectly. Add to that a dollop of sharp fruit, passion fruits perhaps, or in this case a blackcurrant compote, and you have something utterly blissful.
serves 8-10
egg whites - 5 large ones
caster sugar - 300g
white wine vinegar - 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
2 heaped teaspoons cornflour
a little almond oil
225g double cream

Set the oven at 180 C/gas 4. Lightly oil a non-stick, loose-bottomed 20-21cm cake tin with almond oil. If you don't have almond, then use something similarly flavourless, like groundnut. Line the base of the tin with non-stick baking parchment. Beat the egg whites till almost stiff, making certain there is no trace of egg yolk present. Beat with a metal whisk until they stand in billowing, shiny folds. The easiest way is using an electric food mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat in the sugar in two or three lots. Scatter over the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and fold it gently in with a large metal spoon. Don't overmix.

Scoop the lot into the cake tin, smooth the top level and put straight into the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 150 C/gas 3. Leave the meringue to cook, without opening the door for a full hour and 10 minutes. If the top is getting brown, turn the heat down a little further. It should be a pale honey colour. Turn off the heat and let the meringue cool without opening the door. The marshmallow centre will sink and leave high, crisp sides.

Beat the cream in a cold stainless steel bowl till it will almost stand in peaks. Pile in the centre of the meringue. Serve with the blackcurrant compote, above.