Yorkshire summers can be a bit sporadic compared to the extreme summers of Toronto, but all the same, I’ve collected a few recipes for when temperatures reach the mid 20s and it actually feels like summer. Don’t you dare laugh, Torontonians – we don’t have air conditioning here!

Courgette and Ricotta with Pine Kernels and Basil – Nigel Slater
My go-to summer dinner for the beloved vegetarians in my life. And it doesn’t call for parmesan, unlike a number of classic Italian dishes. Next time I am going to slice the courgettes on a mandolin… using a veggie peeler made the slices too thin, and switching to my chef’s knife was slow, careful work that still produced uneven slices. But when that happens, you call it ‘rustic’ and move on. I’m also going to take Nigel up on his suggestion to add a couple of smashed bits of sticky roasted garlic to the dressing as well.

And unless you have a super-powered exhaust fan crowning your stove, this recipe is better grilled on a barbecue outside than on a cast iron griddle inside.

Chicken, Mango and Chilli Salad – Nigella Lawson
I’m going to pull back The Wizard’s curtain for a moment and freely admit that I’ve actually never made this recipe. Every time we’ve had it, my husband’s been on cooking duty. With lean protein, greens, fruit, a tangy dressing and some chilli kick, it’s everything you want in a light supper. Even though this is definitely on the Thai continuum, Indian garlic-coriander naan suits it just fine, for the carb-lovers in your life.

Pecan Crusted Salmon – The Kitchn
I can’t take credit for this one either – it’s another recipe Jeff reaches for weekly, ever since we’ve decided to add more heart-healthy fish and nuts to our diet. He’s noticed that he uses far fewer pecans than the recipe calls for, so halve the suggested amount.

Classic Chicken Salad – The Kitchn
Although I have been very careful to not buy kitchen wares willy-nilly, I bought a glass bowl specifically for this salad, so it can live good-naturedly in the fridge any time life gets busy and I need lunch, NOW.  I scatter a few dried cranberries in along with toasted walnuts.

Strawberry Shortcake – Serious Eats
I’ve saved the best for last. The shortcake biscuits come together surprisingly quickly – a rare promise fulfilled by a recipe headnote. Gradually adding heavy cream to the flour mixture instead of cutting in chilled chunks of butter means the dough is ready in a matter of minutes, and hand forming the 4 portions takes mere seconds, which is a bonus: no need to roll out the dough and use a pastry cutter. Lots of little crags will appear after baking, perfect for strawberry juice to sink into.

Yes, you can buy an angel food cake, pry it apart into ‘slices’ with two forks and tumble over macerated strawberries and dollop with whipped cream, but using these slightly sweet fluffy biscuits as a base is far superior. This is a glorious dessert – I always forget how damn good it is until I’m eating it. The perfect pudding for your Wimbledon party.