Quality tuna needs little embellishment when it comes to grilling. Just a quick sear on each side and you’ve got a pescatarian version of a delicious rare steak. Nuoc cham—a Vietnamese fish-sauce-based condiment—is the foundation for a flavor-packed dressing in the crunchy salad here. Add some cold rice noodles and you have a healthy, Asian-inspired meal.

Loaded with fragrant herbs and crunchy vegetables, this salad is perfect for a picnic, potluck, or tailgate party.

Salting the cabbage and letting it sit helps draw out some of the moisture that plagues most coleslaw. And the dressing here is light and creamy with a vinegary punch. For some flair, add chopped fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or dill.

It surprises me that we often save barbecues for special occasions or parties when, frankly, it can be quite stressful catering for such numbers over fire. Really, the barbecue is just another agreeable weapon in the thinking cook's arsenal, more appropriate for a family lunch or friends over for supper than for feeding the whole village/street/cricket team.

Horseradish is a member of the crucifer family, along with radishes, turnips and mustard. And here lies a clue as to how to tame the monster, harness its fire and turn it into a delicious treat. Many of the foods that benefit from a dab of mustard cosy up to a shot of horseradish like culinary heat-seeking missiles. Of course, it's a favourite accompaniment to roast beef. Creamed horseradish sauce (see today's recipe) is also very good with ox tongue, glazed ham and sausages. With roast pork, try a sauce made from grated horseradish, finely chopped mint, grated apple and sour cream. It's good with fish, too, particularly oily or cured fish, because it cuts through its richness. Try mixing some grated horseradish with cream cheese and chives, then spreading it on rye bread and topping with a generous amount of flaked, smoked mackerel for a quick starter or easy lunch.

Honestly, I really do look forward to my first, frost-sweetened sprouts of the year. (Though, if I'm completely honest, perhaps not quite so much as I look forward to the first broad beans, though that may just be because they often come with a side order of sunshine.) I treat sprouts tenderly, boiling or steaming them until they're cooked but still retain a little bite – about six minutes should do it for small, walnut-sized sprouts, which are the ones we're hankering after here anyway. The other benefit of choosing small sprouts – apart from their superior flavour – is that you don't have to bother with that fiddly nonsense of cutting crosses in their bases to ensure that they cook evenly.

Embellish your basic shredded cabbage with a bit of bite and punch

Jun Tanaka’s salad makes a great accompaniment to a Moroccan-style stew or is perfect on its own as a light summer supper

Lemon zest and juice add punch to this light pasta salad that incorporates common summer ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. Pine nuts add a touch of toast and crunch to round out the flavors.

Matching beef with beetroot may not be as well known as some of this season's great food partnerships, but the rich meat and the sweet root make a perfect pair.

Baked, boiled, grated or blitzed, its deliciously earthy taste and supreme versatility give healthy beetroot the edge over other summer vegetables…

Almost nothing is required of the cook – this salad stands or falls on the quality of the provisions. For each person you will need one large, perfectly ripe tomato, a ball of mozzarella di buffala, 4 to 6 basil leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Slice the tomatoes thinly and the mozzarella less so. Arrange them as you wish on a plate. Dress with basil leaves, black pepper and olive oil. It's as simple as that. (The Italians are fiercely torn over the subject of vinegar, but I prefer not to use it here.)