Summer menu focus: Food for a fine day

THE CHANGING seasons bring an array of fantastic ingredients to inspire pubs and help meet customer demands. During the summer months, local and in-season produce continues to appeal to consumers but fresher, lighter menus come to the fore.

The Potato Council has a range of ideas that make the most of the ingredients the summer has to offer. To try recipes for salad of watercress and king prawns with a sauté of potatoes, baked fish fingers with pea and mint mashed potato and Greek potato salad with lemon dressing, visit www.the-publican.com/food.

Potato Council marketing executive Heike Boelk says: "These dishes are full of flavour and can be enjoyed as either a light-bite or main meal. Potatoes are a superb ingredient for summer menus; their versatility is second to none, they are a healthy option and they offer excellent profit margins."Potatoes on the side

Barbecues are often at the centre of summer menus. As accompaniments offer chunky chips or wedges on the side, fresh potato salad, new potato kebabs or a simple jacket topped with crème fraiche and herbs.

Heike continues: "Boiled in their skins and served hot or cold, new potatoes are the epitome of summer salads as well as being highly nutritious. Waxy potato varieties, such as Nicola, Charlotte or Maris Piper, are perfect for salads; they hold their shape well and can be combined with many different seasonal salad leaves, fruits, herbs and dressings, making ideal dishes for the summer."

For recipes, please follow the 'related article' links on the right.