Newsletter: Fabulous Free-From food + preserving summer’s harvest

Free-From food for all

‘Why should people who avoid some things have to consume less than satisfactory dishes?’ Lucy Parr, The Friendly Baker

If you, or a family member, have a dietary restriction, you know it shouldn’t mean any compromise on flavor, or the types of things you can eat. But the experience of those with allergies all too often involves saying "no" to stay safe, or enduring pale imitations. At ckbk we want everyone to have the recipes they need to make the food they love and so we are delighted to welcome The Friendly Baker to our Free-From bookshelf.

Author Lucy Parr talks all about her mission to ensure tempting, no-compromise food for all in our feature Behind the Cookbook: The Friendly Baker. Le Cordon Bleu trained, when Lucy's two daughters were diagnosed with multiple allergies she began her journey, initially sharing her exploration into safe and delicious food for her daughters on her blog, Lucy’s Friendly Foods.

The Friendly Baker is Lucy's first book, and distills all her passion and research on the subject into recipes everybody will want to cook and eat, regardless of any dietary restrictions.

Try Fill Your Own Chocolate Cookies, or try your hand at this Crème brûlée with Shortbread Bites. No compromise at all!

To help you explore Free-From cooking on ckbk, we’ve put together a handful of new collections. If you are dairy free, try our collection of Vegan Ice-Creams Everyone Will Enjoy, and these Delicious Dairy-Free Milk Dishes. Find recipes for a quartet of ‘milks’ – such as this Almond Milk – and then a dozen great ideas of what to cook with them. How about this spiced and sumptuous Mexican Chocolate Pudding?

Pancakes are always a crowd-pleaser, and no one need miss out with this selection of recipes for Gluten-Free Pancakes. Try the recipe for classic Sweet Crèpes, head to Southeast Asia with this Rice Crepe Batter, or consider these ricotta-filled herbed egg crepes.

There is no more important time to ensure that no one feels left out than when the celebration cake appears, held aloft, everyone singing and anticipating a slice. Make sure everyone can join in with these 17 Gluten-Free Cakes to Share with Friends, such as this show-stopping Lemon Curd Almond Cake.

Find all 95 recipes from The Friendly Baker

Pictured above: Sweetcorn Fritters with Spicy Tomato Relish from The Friendly Baker by Lucy Parr

Enjoy summer’s herbs and vegetables all year round

Put in a little effort when abundant summer herbs and vegetables are at their peak and you can capture summer in a jar to enjoy all year long. Our collection of recipes for Preserving Summer’s Harvest is a good place to start.

A glut of tomatoes can offer up Pizza Sauce, and any number of relishes – try this Red Tomato Jam with Fresh Ginger.

Recipes that use a range of vegetables, such as a Mushroom Piccalilli, or this for La Giardiniera (Preserved Vegetables), are terrific for making the most of whatever you have to hand.

Ingredient spotlight: watermelon

Despite the ‘melon’ in the name, watermelon is distinct from other varieties of melon. A native of Africa, and cultivated since well before other melons, around 2000 bc., the fruit can reach enormous size, with 45kg not uncommon. The smaller round varieties are more regularly 3-4kg.

Watermelon has long been synonymous with summer, thanks to its mild, cool, taste, and abundant juice. With its green striped rind, and pink-red flesh it is also visually striking. The flesh is peppered with black seeds, although seedless varieties are also now available.

The fruit makes a great addition to many refreshing summertime dishes, such as those in our 12 Ways with Watermelon collection. Whizz it up into this Watermelon & Beetroot Gazpacho, make the most of its affinity with fresh salty flavors in this Crispy Halloumi with Watermelon, Mint and Cucumber. Then sweeten things up as you stay cool with a Watermelon-Elderflower Granita. Finally, don't forget that watermelon rind makes a great pickle, too — a Southern classic and a great way to reduce food waste.

6 of the best recipes with beer 🍻

It’s International Beer Day this weekend, and as our Cooking with Beer collection testifies, beer isn't just great to drink, it makes a fine recipe ingredient. Here are six more of our favorites to choose from...