Apart from tomatoes, and sea salt of course, this time of year brings very few harvests. And while we eat our fill of tomatoes in every possible guise, sometimes one wants a meal that does not revolve around the ubiquitous fruit, however cool and refreshing. Similarly, melons do not always fit the bill. And might we have had one too many salads? If you’re thinking along these lines, your palate is feeling a little jaded, you are in the mood for a little cooking, then spices are the answer.

I’m not suggesting a kick of chilli in all your dishes – but some of them might benefit from a shred or two of fresh chilli, perhaps fishcakes, or a tuna tartare? Instead, try some mild curry paste (not cook-in sauces) to season a piece of salmon or other fish. This is a very easy dish and can be served with rice, green salad or a fricassee of summer vegetables. Match it with a chilled bottle of your favourite fizz.

If you have puff pastry taking up space in your freezer, my curried lamb pasties are the perfect use for it. You can prepare them in advance and refrigerate them for few hours until you are ready to bake them. A first course, a snack, something to accompany drinks, these are very versatile and it’s a recipe to use over and over again.

Staying with the spice theme, one of my favourite ice creams is ginger, and this is worth making more than you will need for one meal, as it will be so popular. Chunks of fresh, chilled melon are very nice with this, or a lime syrup, a chocolate sauce, a fresh fruit sauce, what you will.

But first, for a delicious dish that cooks in minutes, buy 500g-600g fresh raw prawns and have a bunch of well-washed young spinach leaves to hand, some fresh fennel leaves and seeds and a lemon. I am assuming you will have garlic, Gozo salt, black pepper and butter or olive oil for this simple wok dish. Heat the oil, working in batches if you are cooking more than 500g prawns. When hot, drop in the prawns. Toss and stir them until they turn pink. Stir in the fennel seeds, grate in plenty of lemon zest and add the garlic if using it and the seasoning. Splash on a measure or two of gin if you like, stand back and light it. When the flames have died down, stir in the spinach and seasoning. Serve when the spinach is just wilted and scatter on the fennel leaves and a sprinkling of lemon juice. Or hand the lemon round separately. This recipe takes longer to type than to cook.

Gingerice Cream

(Makes 1 litre) – Note that this uses raw eggs)

75g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
250ml sugar syrup
375ml full cream milk
5 egg yolks
250ml cream

Simmer the ginger in the syrup for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Scald the milk in a separate saucepan, remove from the heat and stir in the ginger syrup. Infuse for about an hour and do not strain at this stage.

Proceed with the ice cream making in the usual way, reheating the milk and syrup mixture before pouring it on the beaten egg yolks to make the custard. Stir this over a very low heat until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon, but without letting it curdle. The ginger is removed when you sieve the custard before the addition of the cream. Freeze the mixture either in an ice cream maker or in a container in the freezer. If the latter, you will need to stir the mixture from time to time, sides to middle, to break up the ice crystals. For a smooth finish, do the last ‘stirring’ in a food processor and then freeze until required.

Curried lamb pasties

(Makes about 18)

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
400g minced lamb
1 tbsp mild or medium curry paste
Grated zest of a lemon and 2 tsp juice
1 or 2 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
3 or 4 tbsp milk
500g puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten with a tbsp of water

If you prefer, you can make six larger pasties and serve as a first course.

Fry the onion gently in the oil until soft and golden, then add the lamb and cook on a high heat until it no longer looks raw. Stir in the curry, zest, juice and mint and cook for a few minutes. Add the milk and cook until the mixture looks almost dry. Check for seasoning, add salt if necessary and allow the mixture to cool. The lamb can be prepared to this point the day before required and refrigerated.

Roll out the puff pastry on to a floured work top and cut into eight-centimetre rounds. Wet the edges with the egg wash and put a spoonful of the mixture in the centre. Fold over into a half circle and seal the edges. You can either crimp the edges like a Cornish pasty or simply press a fork all the way round. Glaze the pasties with any remaining egg wash.

Place on baking trays and bake in a preheated oven at 180˚C, gas 4 for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Roasted aromatic salmon

(Serves 8)

8 x 175-200g pieces salmon or sea fillet
Melted butter
Gozo salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated zest of a lime and its juice
1 tbsp mild curry paste

A quick and easy fish dish, this recipe can be used for any fish fillets.

Brush the fish all over with butter. Season it lightly. Put the lime juice and zest in a bowl and mix in the curry paste. Rub this mixture into the fish and place, skin-side up on a buttered baking sheet. Leave for 10 minutes and then place in a preheated oven at 220˚C, gas 7 for 5-10 minutes or until done to your liking. If the fillets are of uneven thickness, you may wish to remove the thinner ones first.