Ease into summer with sweet and savoury seasonal June recipes

Want to know what’s in season in June? Looking for June recipe ideas? Use sweet strawberries, fresh mint from the garden and aubergines and courgettes from your local greengrocer to make these seasonal dishes and bakes. We’ve included plenty of tips for how to shop for particular varieties, prepping guides and useful ideas to use up leftovers.

After, check out our best May recipes, July recipes and August recipes.

Strawberries

A celebration of peak British summer, these vibrant berries are rich in vitamin C and at the height of their season are floral, juicy and perfect for sweet and savoury dishes alike. Try roasting on top of herby soft cheese in a puff pastry galette, roasting on the barbecue in a foil parcel with a dash of balsamic vinegar, or tossing in a salad with feta and spinach. Try more juicy strawberry recipes, including this refreshing strawberry mojito or this showstopping strawberry cheesecake.

Strawberry mochi

Strawberry mochi is a Japanese dessert, filled with adzuki bean paste and whole strawberries.

Strawberry tart

Inspired by mini tarts filled with crème pâtissière and topped with glistening fruit, this giant version makes the most of in-season strawberries.

Strawberry cupcakes

These dainty cupcakes stay beautifully moist thanks to the chopped strawberries folded into the sponge. Perfect for afternoon tea or a summer bake sale.

Gooseberries

These sweet-tart berries grow on bushes with spiky branches, not too dissimilar to hawthorn. Their flavour ranges from sweet, grape-like juiciness to sharp, acidic, tropical kiwi notes, depending on the variety and ripeness of the berries. Check them raw before adding the sugar to your taste. This compote is perfect for yogurt, porridge and pavlovas too. Just double or triple the quantity and keep chilled for up to four days. Try more ways with gooseberries, including this savoury chicken and gooseberry tagine or this effortless gooseberry jam.

Gooseberry fool

The tartness of gooseberries is the perfect foil for whipped cream and syrupy elderflower cordial in this dessert that can be put together quickly.

Gooseberry cake

Make the most of British summer berries in this fruity gooseberry cake, lifted with a sweet elderflower drizzle.

Nectarines

Nectarines are a smooth-skinned stone fruit. Red on the outside with creamy yellow flesh, they are related to peaches, with a similar floral and sweet flavour. When ripe they’ll have a wonderful scent and will be slightly soft when squeezed. Discover more of our nectarine recipes, including this vegetarian and gluten-free nectarine, coconut and lime tray-tart.

Nectarine and chilli maple halloumi quinoa salad

Nectarines shine in this salad. Coating the halloumi in a chilli-maple dressing is a game-changer.

Nectarine crumble

Nectarines are in season throughout the summer – pair them with almonds and amaretto to make this dessert, which is full of sunshine flavour.

Halibut

A mild, sweet-flavoured flat fish with a firm flesh that holds up well to being cooked in a few methods, but roasting is a favourite. Pair it with tomatoes, citrus, chilli or a cream-based sauce. This fish is a versatile base for a lot of dishes and it comes into season as the seas start to warm up. Look out for responsibly sourced halibut, with an MSC logo, when buying. Try more recipes, including this halibut in a ginger and herb broth.

Baked halibut with fennel, lemon and walnut pangrattato

Halibut is particularly well suited to roasting, and this dish is great for easy entertaining or an elevated midweek meal.

Pan-fried halibut with summer veg broth

Try this quick recipe for halibut, pan-fried, light and served in a summery vegetable broth.

Lettuce

Lettuce is from the daisy family. You’ll recognise Iceburg, Little Gem, Butterhead and Romaine from supermarkets. Look for bright, fresh leaves that look like they’ve just been pulled from the ground. Find more lettuce recipes, including this umami-rich chinese lettuce with ginger soy sauce.

Waldorf salad

A Waldorf salad is a classic for a reason: it's sweet, savoury, crunchy and creamy all at the same time.

Charred lettuce with ranch dressing and bacon bits

This salad of crunchy lettuce and crisp bacon bits is all about the creamy homemade ranch dressing. It makes a great side dish for a summer barbecue.

Tarragon

Tarragon is a leafy, soft herb that grows in spring and summer. It has a strong aniseed and liquorice flavour, and is commonly used in classic French dishes such as béarnaise sauce. Discover more ways to cook with tarragon, including this zingy chicken tagliatelle with lemon and tarragon or this tarragon and vermouth mussels one-pot.

Tarragon butter chicken

A whole chicken is brined here with bay and lemon, before being roasted and then slathered in tarragon butter. The result is beautifully juicy meat with golden skin and a subtle aniseed-flavoured edge from the fresh leafy herb.

Halloumi, mango, courgette and tarragon pizzettes

Use mango chutney for sweet tang, melted halloumi for chewy saltiness, charred courgettes for bitter freshness and tarragon for a herbal hit of anise.

Tarragon ice cream

Tarragon is in season throughout the spring and summer. Put it to great use in this ice cream, which is perfect for sunny days and warm evenings.

Mint

Mint thrives in UK gardens but people are often unsure how to use it. As well as this sauce, mint is great as a tea or in any recipe that includes parsley or coriander – just add some chopped mint too. Discover more ways to cook with mint, including this vibrant courgette and mint soup or this zesty lamb meatballs with ricotta and mint shatta.

Mint sauce

Use up mint from the garden in this classic mint sauce – it's essential for roast lamb and only takes five minutes to make.

Cook’s notes

Here are some alternative ideas on how to use this mint sauce:

• Turn this sauce into a dressing by whisking 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil into it and tossing with crunchy green vegetables, such as lettuce and cucumber.
• Try brushing some of the mint sauce onto lamb cutlets before grilling, then toss in a little more when the meat is resting.
• Whisk a few tablespoons of the mint sauce into plain yogurt for a great chicken kebab marinade.

Asparagus

As the first prized spears head onto shelves at the end of April, there’s little better accompaniment than salt, pepper and butter (perhaps hollandaise). But asparagus season continues into June, when stems become thicker and it’s more widely available. Now discover more asparagus recipes, including this asparagus and salmon parcel or this vegetarian asparagus and tomato tart.

Asparagus and anchovy pasta

A simple yet delicious asparagus spaghetti recipe, it's ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for lazy summer days.

Asparagus quiche with capers

Spotlight seasonal asparagus in this recipe with a nutty brown butter pastry crust, punchy capers and gruyère – perfect for weekend entertaining.

Aubergines

Aubergines are good at soaking up flavours – you’ll find that after they’ve simmered in all of the spices they’ll be bursting with flavour, especially after giving them a good char at the beginning. Taste a bit before serving – you want them to be meltingly soft. Take your pick from our aubergine recipes, which include this healthy aubergine parmigiana and this vegan aubergine teriyaki bowl.

Sweet-sour griddled aubergines

Charred and dressed in an agrodolce (sweet and sour) dressing, this aubergine salad is light enough to serve as you soak up the last of the summer rays, but it’s also a great party platter to serve alongside meze if you’re looking for something a bit more substantial.

Smoky aubergine chilli

Charred aubergines give this vegan chilli a delicious, smoky depth, making it a great family midweek meat alternative.

Courgettes

Also known as zucchini, courgettes are from the same family as cucumbers, squashes and melons and are an extremely versatile vegetable. They work well with diverse cuisines and flavours – eaten raw thinly sliced in salads, fried until crisp, or gently simmered in a soup or stew until tender. Look out for smooth, unblemished skin when buying. Try more courgette recipes, including this flavour-packed courgette, parma ham and lemon ricotta lasagne or give the summer veg a sweet twist by making this chocolate courgette cake.

Courgette and chimichurri salad

Harissa lamb-stuffed courgettes

Fill courgettes with a mix of lamb mince, garlic, cumin and harissa, and bake in a fiery tomato sauce to make an exciting weeknight meal for two.

BBQ courgettes with labneh and savoury granola

The combination of smoky, charred courgettes, creamy labneh and crunchy savoury granola makes this a perfect side dish when you're entertaining.