‘Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower’ cookbook: Summer recipes from blackcurrant cheesecake to courgette soup

River Cottage’s head chef Gill Meller’s latest book is a celebration of seasonal plants and vegetables packed full of quick and easy recipes

(Photography by Andrew Montgomery)

Blackcurrant and lemon cheesecake with fennel seed and lemon thyme

Some would argue an unbaked cheesecake isn’t a cheesecake at all. I don’t really know what that means or who those people are. I make both, and they’re equally tasty in their different ways. This particular version hasn’t got eggs in, so doesn’t get baked, but it’s nonetheless rich. What’s more, it’s fairly quick to make, less fuss. I love the addition of fennel seed and lemon zest here – two flavours that work alongside blackcurrants beautifully. I also like to scatter over fresh lemon thyme before serving the cake; it’s pretty easy to get hold of in the summer.

Serves 8-10

For the base

150g digestive biscuits
85g unsalted butter
1 tbsp runny honey
50g jumbo oats, toasted in a dry pan
Pinch of fine sea salt

For the filling

300ml double cream
250g full-fat cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon and juice of ½
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
125g unrefined caster sugar
1 tsp agar flakes
200g blackcurrants
3-4 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves picked

For the base, put the biscuits in a food processor, whiz to fine crumbs, then set aside. Melt the butter and honey together in a pan, then add the crushed digestives, toasted oats, and the salt and mix well. Press the mixture into the base of a 22cm springform tin and chill for 1 hour to set.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Pour the cream into a bowl and add the cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed fennel seeds and 50g of the sugar. Using an electric whisk, whisk until the mixture is thick and forms stiff peaks when you lift the beaters.

Spread the creamy mixture over the set biscuit base and return to the fridge.

Place a smallish pan on the hob. Add 3 tablespoons of water and sprinkle over the agar flakes. Warm over a medium heat, until the liquid comes up to a gentle simmer. Use a fork to stir the flakes into the water for 2-3 minutes; this will encourage them to dissolve fully.

Tip the blackcurrants into the pan along with the remaining sugar and half the lemon thyme leaves. Cook gently, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the berries are soft but mostly still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

Spoon the blackcurrants along with their sweet juices over the top of the lemony fennel-y creamy cheese and gently even it all out (you might not need all the juice if there’s a lot). Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours, or until the topping has set completely. Remove from the tin, scatter over the remaining thyme leaves and serve.

(Andrew Montgomery)

Courgette and bean soup with marjoram, garlic and hazelnuts

As the summer progresses, the courgettes get a little larger, and it’s at this stage that they’re perfect for making this soup. it’s a shamelessly garlicky, rustic thing made with extra-virgin olive oil and lots of fresh marjoram, a herb I’ve become particularly fond of. I love adding white beans for their starch and body, and milky hazelnuts for their sweetness and texture; they go so well with the other flavours in the bowl

Serves 4

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for trickling
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 courgettes, sliced into 1cm rounds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a good squeeze of juice
2-3 marjoram sprigs, leaves picked and chopped (reserve any flowers to garnish)
1 x 400g tin of butter, haricot or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 small handful of blanched hazelnuts, roughly bashed
750ml vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the garlic and sizzle for a few seconds, but don’t let it get too dark or it can become bitter. Add the courgettes, lemon zest and chopped marjoram, season with plenty of salt, then stir well.

Cook the courgettes, stirring from time to time, for 15-20 minutes, until they are beginning to soften. Then, add the beans, hazelnuts and vegetable stock and bring the soup up to the simmer. Continue to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often, to help the courgettes break down a little.

At this point I like to use a potato masher to crush some of the beans and courgettes up a bit. This gives the soup a really beautiful texture.

Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in warm bowls trickled with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkled with a little black pepper, and garnished with the marjoram flowers, if available. Serve some nice, buttered wholemeal bread on the side.

(Andrew Montgomery)

Aubergine, courgette and lettuce salad with toasted seeds, mint and tahini dressing

This is a perfect salad for a summer lunch, especially if the weather is warm and you can sit outside in the sun. I like to roast the aubergines and courgettes until they start to crisp a little around their edges. This gives them a slight bitterness, which I find exceptionally delicious alongside the honey and tahini in the dressing that is spooned over the vegetables once they’re cooked.

Serves 4

2-3 aubergines, sliced into 1cm rounds
2-3 courgettes, cut into 1cm rounds
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, bashed
2 small cos or little gem lettuces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the toasted seeds

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp unrefined caster sugar
Good pinch of sea salt

For the dressing

2 tbsp tahini
½ garlic clove, crushed or grated
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tsp runny honey
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas mark 4. Place the aubergines and courgettes in a bowl and trickle over the olive oil. Season well and add the bashed garlic. Toss the whole lot together, then lay the vegetable slices out over a large baking tray (or two trays, if necessary) in a single layer. Cook for 35 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to crisp around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.

(Andrew Montgomery)

Meanwhile, make the toasted seeds. Place a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the seeds, oil, sugar and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing everything together as the seeds toast, until they are fragrant and beginning to pop a little. Set aside to cool.

Make the dressing. Put the tahini in a small bowl with the garlic, lemon juice and zest, yoghurt, honey and oil. Whisk with a fork until thick and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a little dash of cold water to loosen.

Finish the salad. Cut the base from each lettuce and discard any damaged outer leaves in the compost. Separate the leaves, wash them and spin dry. Arrange the leaves over a large platter, top with the roasted aubergines and courgettes, then spoon over the dressing and finish with a scattering of the toasted seeds.

‘Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower’ by Gill Meller (Quadrille, Hardback & eBook) Photography © Andrew Montgomery