There's a particular kind of pleasure in building a menu around one ingredient and letting it do the talking. That's exactly what I did for a recent lunch at home, where fresh basil pesto became the vibrant thread running through everything on the table.

Basil is one of those herbs you can technically find year-round, but it's really in the summer months that it comes into its own - fuller leaves, deeper aroma, and an abundance that makes it feel almost negligent not to use it generously. I leaned into that abundance and built a menu where basil showed up again and again, but never in quite the same way twice.

This sun-soaked summer menu is built around simple dishes that feel special without asking much of you — a bright lemon pasta, tender spiced fish, and a crisp courgette salad that brings everything together.