FODMAP Friendly Summer Eating with Emma Hatcher

It might not feel like it all the time (she says as she sheepishly put her winter coat back on this morning), but summer is well and truly on its way.

Stand out fruit and vegetables are starting to appear, with rhubarb finding its way into everything I’m cooking at the moment, and samphire slowly creeping onto my dinner plate. The classic British strawberry has gotten me excited for June, while other FODMAP friendly ingredients soon to be at their best – including tomatoes, rocket, radish, raspberries, fennel, cucumber, courgette and aubergine  – have got me scribbling down ideas for recipes this summer.

I’m dying to make a fragrant courgette and lime cake (keep an eye out on my blog www.shecanteatwhat.com for the recipe!) and a simple crab salad with a light mustard mayonnaise. For puddings, I’m dreaming up brown sugar meringues with whipped cream – lactose free if required – piled high with FODMAP friendly summer berries and a sprinkle of mint. I’m also getting excited about light, zingy cheesecake jars – my cheat’s dessert. Crush up your favourite FODMAP friendly biscuits and layer with Greek yogurt and sweet sliced strawberries. A pineapple and passionfruit version is delicious too.

Three of my favourite FODMAP friendly summer eating tips:

  1. Spend an hour or so batch cooking some staple grains on a Sunday. You can add whatever veggies or salad you’ve got on hand for delicious (and easy) lunches throughout the week. There’s something nice about not cooking on hot evenings too and making big, beautiful salads for dinner. Quinoa, millet and buckwheat are three of my favourite FODMAP-friendly grains – millet especially being incredibly cheap, rich in insoluble fibre and a great alternative for couscous.
  2. Chop up your favourite FODMAP friendly fruits and bung them in the freezer for go-to smoothies or dairy-free ice cream. Ice cream is always delicious, but there’s something about eating it in the summertime that makes it so much more enjoyable.
  3. Galettes are one of my favourite summer staples when I’ve got friends over. So much simpler than pies, you can fill them with whatever is in season — sweet or savoury. I love them filled with burst tomatoes, courgettes and feta, with a little sweetcorn too, if you can tolerate it. The gluten-free buckwheat pastry in my book (page 149) is my go-to, which you can make it advance and just roll out when you need.