Summer's not over yet – in fact it is yet to kick in!

Feeling like eating lighter fare? This summery dish of white peaches and baked ricotta is just the answer,

Summer's not over yet – in fact it is yet to kick in! La Nina may have played havoc with your summer holidays in this part of the world, but the experts are saying lots of fine settled weather is coming our way. Just as well! So I recommend keeping a chipper outlook and carrying on as if every grey or wet day is a mere blip on a sunny horizon. Got to stay positive! When it comes to eating, things couldn't be better. Stone fruit is abundant and well priced, there are plenty of tomatoes and salad greens, peppers (capsicums), sweet corn and avocados ... enough to make a feast. Yes, it's goodbye to strawberries, and their season wasn't the greatest, but we have the first of the apples (Sunrise and Gala) in stores now and plenty more varieties to follow. So pecker up ... I created an absolute stunner this week: white peaches, watermelon and baked ricotta. It is gorgeously sweet and juicy with nice little nips of lemony coriander seeds and chilli and just the thing with a glass or three of Rosé. Or Arneis. or Rielsing. Or anything else you fancy. And you can't go past a good roast chook (unless you are vegetarian!). Cutting the chook down the backbone and squashing it flat ensure you get plenty of golden skin and a chance for flavourings to penetrate the flesh. It's known as motorway chicken ... simply because it is squashed flat. If you've got a kaffir lime tree it is likely to be sporting abundant glossy leaves. Now is the time to use them lavishly. By keeping the tree trimmed it will produce more leaves. If you don't have access to fresh lime leaves, you could make the white peach number with freeze-dried lime leaves. But perhaps consider getting yourself a lime tree. They grow well in a pot in a sunny spot. The February Cooking Class bookings are well underway, so don't delay making a booking if you intend coming along. And get chatting with your friends about coming along to Puglia with me in May – we've still got room. It would be great to have some foodies along as Puglia has many hidden secrets. Meanwhile, get yourself some fresh produce and get cooking. There's nothing like sharing delicious homecooked food around a table with friends and family. Julie