Delia's Summer Collection

With its instantly recognisable sunflower cover, Delia’s Summer Collection brings a burst of sunshine straight to your kitchen.

First published in 1993, this timeless classic is brimming with easy summer recipes, seasonal ingredients, and the very best of classic British cooking. From vibrant salads and light suppers to irresistible summer desserts, every dish has stood the test of time - remaining just as delicious, fresh, and inspiring today as the day it was created.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Focaccia in this collection is also included in the Speciality Breads Lesson and you can now watch how to make it. Just press the image to play.

Fresh Asparagus with Hollandaise

The marriage of asparagus and hollandaise was quite definitely made in heaven, and it seems sad to me that ...

The marriage of asparagus and hollandaise was quite definitely made in heaven, and it seems sad to me that 'health' issues should bring about a divorce. There...

Vegetarian

Fresh Crab Salad

This is a very good recipe for using those small, ready-dressed crabs that are sold in the half-shell. T...

This is a very good recipe for using those small, ready-dressed crabs that are sold in the half-shell. The tartness of capers, gherkins and lime cut through the ric...

Peaches Baked in Marsala

This combination of fresh, ripe peaches, and the luscious flavour of Marsala wine make a supremely good sum...

This combination of fresh, ripe peaches, and the luscious flavour of Marsala wine make a supremely good summer dessert that has the added advantage of being made well ...

Halloumi Cheese with Vinaigrette

This is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for the unexpected vegetarian. Halloumi arrives in sealed ...

This is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for the unexpected vegetarian. Halloumi arrives in sealed plastic wrapping and has a reasonably long shelf-life, which...

2 minutes

Vegetarian

Skate Wings with Warm Salsa

Skate wings have everything going for them. They have a fine-flavoured, creamy flesh that comes away fro...

Skate wings have everything going for them. They have a fine-flavoured, creamy flesh that comes away from the bone with no fuss or bother, and they're dead easy to ...

8 minutes - 10 minutes

Frijolemole

This rather exotic title simply means 'bean purée' – but a rather special one, made with chickpeas, chillie...

This rather exotic title simply means 'bean purée' – but a rather special one, made with chickpeas, chillies, fresh lime juice and coriander. It has a crunchy textu...

Vegetarian

Frying-pan Pizza

This is the easiest home-made pizza in the world. It's made with a scone dough which, happily, does not ...

This is the easiest home-made pizza in the world. It's made with a scone dough which, happily, does not require kneading and proving. The topping can, of course, be...

12 minutes - 13 minutes

Vegetarian

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice Cream

This ice cream is unbelievably good. Perhaps one of the best treats of early summer would be to serve A ...

This ice cream is unbelievably good. Perhaps one of the best treats of early summer would be to serve A Very Easy One Crust Gooseberry Pie accompanied by home-made ...

Gooseberry and Elderflower Jellies

Jellies have played an increasing part in my repertoire in recent years, and this is largely because you ca...

Jellies have played an increasing part in my repertoire in recent years, and this is largely because you can make really excellent jellies using various fruits and win...

50 minutes - 1 hour 6 minutes

Gooseberry and Elderflower Preserve

Was it a happy accident or nature's clever plan, that while English gooseberries are ripe and ready for pic...

Was it a happy accident or nature's clever plan, that while English gooseberries are ripe and ready for picking, the elderflower trees are in full blossom, and that th...

Grilled Spanish Onion Salad

I am constantly amazed after all my years of cooking at how there can be anything new – but there always is...

I am constantly amazed after all my years of cooking at how there can be anything new – but there always is, again and again. This is an example, utterly simp...

Vegetarian

Half-time Saltimbocca Pork

This famous Roman dish made with veal also works well with pork. It takes only minutes to cook, then ser...

This famous Roman dish made with veal also works well with pork. It takes only minutes to cook, then serve it on your lap for the second half with a watercress, roc...

4 minutes

Home-made Lemonade

There really isn't anything quite like it. There are a million and one commercial versions, but nothing ...

There really isn't anything quite like it. There are a million and one commercial versions, but nothing can compare with the flavour of fresh lemons made into lemon...

Hot Citrus Pudding

This delightful hot pudding full of fresh citrus flavours is very light and fluffy and has the advantage of...

This delightful hot pudding full of fresh citrus flavours is very light and fluffy and has the advantage of emerging from the oven in a pool of its own sauce. Then ...

50 minutes

Hot and Sour Pickled Prawns

This is an ace of a first course for busy people. It is dead easy to prepare and, as it needs at least 4...

This is an ace of a first course for busy people. It is dead easy to prepare and, as it needs at least 48 hours to pickle the prawns and allow the flavours to devel...

Ice-cream Sodas

An ice-cream soda is a cross between a drink and a sundae. The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch ...

An ice-cream soda is a cross between a drink and a sundae. The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch Delia talk about her free cookery school in our video on thi...

Italian Rice Creams

For those who get nostalgic for the rice puddings of their childhood, this is the adult answer, a more soph...

For those who get nostalgic for the rice puddings of their childhood, this is the adult answer, a more sophisticated and modern interpretation. Later on in the summ...

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream

This is sharp, very lemony and most refreshing, truly an ice cream for summer. We have found that the sh...

This is sharp, very lemony and most refreshing, truly an ice cream for summer. We have found that the shop-bought meringues actually work better than home-made ones...

Low-fat Rhubarb Yoghurt Fool

This can be a no-fat and no-sugar dessert for waist watchers which does taste rather good. But if you li...

This can be a no-fat and no-sugar dessert for waist watchers which does taste rather good. But if you like you can use whole milk Greek yoghurt, which will be cream...

Marinated Mozzarella

This is very pretty and very summery, but it is dependent on getting hold of good-quality mozzarella. Bu...

This is very pretty and very summery, but it is dependent on getting hold of good-quality mozzarella. Buffalo mozzarella is the best, but failing that the full-fat ...

Vegetarian

Mexican Tomato Salsa

This is lovely served with plain grilled fish. The Delia Online Cookery School: You can also watch How T...

This is lovely served with plain grilled fish. The Delia Online Cookery School: You can also watch How To Skin and De-seed Tomatoes in our cookery school video on t...

Vegetarian

Middle Eastern Tabouleh Salad

This Middle Eastern salad is so pretty and summery, and if you have mint in the garden that is growing as w...

This Middle Eastern salad is so pretty and summery, and if you have mint in the garden that is growing as wild as a jungle – as mine does – it's a wonderful way to use...

Vegetarian

Mini Focaccia Bread

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread made with olive oil. The flavour of the oil is important, so it's advi...

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread made with olive oil. The flavour of the oil is important, so it's advisable to use a good, strong, fruity virgin olive oil for thi...

15 minutes - 30 minutes

Vegetarian

Mixed-leaf Caesar Salad

This must be one of the greatest salad recipes ever. It's traditionally made with Cos lettuce, but I lik...

This must be one of the greatest salad recipes ever. It's traditionally made with Cos lettuce, but I like a mixture of lettuce and some crunchy rocket leaves. What ...