Summer recipes to inspire

Summer is a beautiful time to host parties for family and friends, and when it comes to entertaining, food is always at the forefront.

From tossed seasonal salads to seafood, antipasto boards and balmy barbecues, warm weather inspires plenty of delicious ideas.

Dimitris Aronis owns a Central Coast based business called Private Chef catering and along with his team, offers plenty of inspiration for entertaining over the summer months.

Using his appreciation for sourcing quality produce, utilising fresh and organic foods from local suppliers and incorporating that into his menus, Dimitris has two summer recipe suggestions that could be the perfect addition to a long table of guests.

Beetroot stuffed with soft labneh

Pick baby beetroots if possible, for a sweeter flavour. Wrap individually in foil and roast at 160 degrees for 20 mins. Leave to cool in foil. Unwrap and peel away skin. Slice in half and use a small round cutter to cut out the centre of each round. Spoon soft fresh labneh into the centre and smooth over to finish. The natural sweetness of the beetroots compliments the creamy labneh perfectly and can be used as canapes or part of a seasonal vegetable garnish.

Working with seasonal berries for our "Strawberries & Cream" dessert

All of the seasonal berries we receive that are used in our signature dessert "Strawberries and Cream" go through a marinating process before they are plated. Any older, softer strawberries are lightly poached in vanilla stock and then strained through fresh lavender to create our Strawberry and Lavender stock. All raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and mulberries are then marinated in this stock before served. This process enhances the natural flavour of the berries.