We can’t get enough of summer’s bounty! Celebrate the season’s juicy, fresh fruit with these bright and tasty dishes.  

Melon and mint gazpacho  

Serves 4–6 // Cooking time 10 minutes 

Ingredients  

1 large honeydew melon, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large cucumber
1 lime, zested and juiced
Handful fresh mint
½ cup water
1 Tbsp honey
½ green chilli, seeded  

Method 

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. 
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. 

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za  

Grilled snoek with sticky apricot glaze & pickled radish salad  

Serves 4 // Preparation time 25 minutes // Cooking time 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the snoek 

¼ cup roughly chopped dried apricots
1 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
½ red chilli, seeded, thinly sliced 
½ cup apricot jam
Zest of 1 lemon 
1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1 whole snoek, cleaned and butterflied 

For the pickled radish salad 

¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1½ Tbsp sugar
¼ tsp mustard seeds and coriander seeds
6 radishes, thinly sliced
2½ cups leafy greens (such as watercress and rocket)
3 spring onions, sliced  

Method 

For the snoek  

1. Place the dried apricots in boiling water for 5 min and drain, reserving 1 tbsp of the liquid.
2. Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Sauté the garlic and chilli until softened. Add the drained apricots, jam, zest and ginger. Add in the reserved apricot water and simmer until thick and glossy. Set aside to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 180° Line an oven tray with baking paper.
4. Lightly oil and season the snoek. Place it skin-side down on the prepared tray and brush with a thin layer of glaze.
5. Place the snoek in the oven for 15–20 minutes, basting with more glaze occasionally, until flesh is cooked and flakes easily. 

For the pickled radish salad 

1. Place the vinegar, water, sugar and seeds in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add in the radishes. Set aside to pickle for 5–10 min. 
2. Toss the radishes with leafy greens and spring onions.
3. Serve the snoek with the pickled radish salad and charred lemon halves if desired.

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen & Sjaan van der Ploeg; 
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz 

Mango-marinated spatchcock chicken roast 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 2 hours 

Ingredients 

For the spatchcock chicken 

1 mango, pitted and chopped
1½ tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 chicken, spatchcocked
1½ Tbsp olive oil 

For the sauce 

½ cauliflower, chopped and steamed
3 green chillies, chopped
2½ cups coriander
2 Tbsp olive oil 

Method 

For the chicken 

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Blend the mango, garlic powder, soy sauce and sugar together until smooth.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then spread the mango marinade over it, making sure it is fully coated. Drizzle with the olive oil.
4. Roast for about 1½ hours until the chicken is completely cooked through. Baste with the marinade halfway through.

For the sauce 

1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
2. Spoon on to a serving platter and place the chicken on top.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz // HMimages.co.za 

No-churn cherry swirl ice cream dessert 

Makes 1L // Cooking time 40 minutes, plus freezing time 

Ingredients 

1 cup cherries, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
3 cups cream
385g tin condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence  

Method 

1. Place the cherries, sugar and water in a pot. Boil the mixture for 20–30 minutes until it is a thick syrup, then set aside and let it cool. For a smooth syrup, blitz with a hand blender until the desired consistency.
2. Beat cream, condensed milk and vanilla until stiff.
3. Pour the cream mixture into a large loaf tin. Swirl the cherry syrup through it by adding small dollops and dragging a toothpick through them. Cover with cling film and freeze until solid.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash // HMimages.co.za