Fiona Hugues

Back when I first tried shandy it was all sand, sun-bleached hair, wooden beads and tasselled beach towels. The tassels have returned and a shandy remains the go-to thirst quencher at the end of a hot summer’s day. It’s also a drink that makes a great accompaniment to Mexican-inspired meals. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

Both Jani and I have strong ties to France and this dish is a bistro classic. You can pretty much find ‘moules et frites’ or mussels and chips in every little French coastal cafe and it can be quite an addictive dish. Jani and I and our blokes all adore this version – it’s perfect for enjoying here in New Zealand with the Pacific flavours of coconut and lime. Serve with a baguette to mop up the salty juices, a glass or two of rosé and plenty of cold beer, napkins and a large bowl for the shells. Bon appetit! Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

Punnets of deep red strawberries stacked high and deep outside fruit shops and dairies epitomise the Kiwi summer. But by the tail end of the strawberry season, as the fruit quality wanes, I’m left looking for ways to keep this less flavoursome berry exciting. Here’s my new trick: a short session in a hot oven and strawberries morph into fragrant domes bursting with flavour. These roasted berries are sublime over ice cream but even better topping a flaky pastry base smeared with zesty cannoli cream. End-of-berry-season blues sorted. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

This salad is our summer favourite and a fantastic way to use up tomatoes and dried-up bread. It’s even better as a main meal with chargrilled meats like these barbecued chicken thighs. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

Jani and I spend hours on our photoshoots and inevitably share childhood food stories as memories are triggered by different ingredients. One recent discovery is our shared love of Strawberry Toppa ice blocks – that delicious Kiwi invention of the 1950s. The rather rustic icy treats on these pages are our version of the sublime relationship between strawberries and cream – with a cheeky, grown-up twist. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

I have marvellous holiday memories of fighting with my brother and sister over the contents of boxes of Christmas chocolates while holed up waiting for rain to clear.

Many strawberry farms around the country now offer fresh fruit ice creams at the farm gate. My kids shriek and demand a detour whenever they see a painted strawberry sign on a hot summer road trip. Please note: this recipe makes a two-tiered cake; to construct the four-tiered cake pictured here, double all the quantities (except for topping) and first make sure it will fit in the freezer. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.