The best French products and flavors to savor this summer (recipes included!)

Top French produce to try this summer 

🌿 Fruits and veggies – crisp vegetables and ripe fruits 

An abundance of fruit is in season during the French summer.  French apricots are grown in the sun-soaked south. These stone fruits are at their best in high summer, when their honeyed flesh is perfectly ripe. Try rich fragrant Rouge du Roussillon PDO apricots which have speckled red and orange skins.

Strawberries are an early summer treat, including much-loved Nîmes Strawberries PGI. In high summer, try fragrant French plums. There’s an array of varieties, including rich Reines-Claudes (greengages), firm and tangy Quetsch d’Alsace and juicy Mirabelles, which are perfect in a clafoutis. 

Ripe figs are a late summer highlight. Slice into salads, fold into cake batter, make fig chutney, or load tartines with fudgy figs, salty ham and creamy goat’s cheese for a quick supper. Solliès Bourjasotte noire figs PDO from Provence are renowned for their sweet, ruby-red flesh. 

Nothing beats the taste of a ripe French tomato. In season until September, tomatoes are a mainstay of French summer recipes. Enjoy them raw with a sprinkle of sea salt, stuffed and baked, on tarts and galettes, in salads or folded into an omelette. Look for stripey Green Zebras, yellow Pineapple tomatoes or pinky-red Coeur de Boeuf to add colour and interest to your plate.   

Also in season are crisp French beans (perfect in a salad), baby potatoes and three staples of southern cooking: courgettes/zucchini, aubergines/eggplants and peppers. Use them all to make authentic ratatouille.  

🧀 Dairy products – summer cheeses 

Did you know that some French cheeses are seasonal? Ossau Iraty PDO is made in the Basque Country from raw ewe’s milk. During summer, local shepherds lead their sheep up the Pyrenées to graze on rich mountain pastures. Ossau Iraty summer pasture cheeses have incredible flavour and are identified by a special stamp. Similarly, Beaufort D’Ete AOP is a raw cow’s milk cheese from the Alps made in summer and with an incredible, buttery flavour. 

Saint Nectaire PDO is made with milk from cows who feast on the lush meadows of the Auvergne region. Its nutty flavour and creamy texture pairs beautifully with summer fruits like plums and it also works beautifully in salads.  

🐟 Meat, fish and seafood – lamb, oysters and bouchot mussels 

Outdoor eating is de rigeur. Picnics and barbecues call for the best meat, fish and seafood. Lamb is popular, including succulent Sisteron lamb PGI and spicy Merguez sausages. Roast chicken is still on the menu. Just switch the sides – exchanging creamy accompaniments for crisp salads. 

Charcuterie was made for summer eating. Think rich pâté spread on a crusty baguette at a picnic, charcuterie boards and appetisers made with melt-in-the-mouth Bayonne ham PGI. 

Nothing beats sitting in a coastal restaurant feasting on fresh fish and seafood, whether that’s grilled sardines or a platter of the best French oysters. Summer’s finest French seafood includes iconic Breton blue lobster and another delicacy from Britanny, bouchot mussels. Grown on long wooden poles, bouchot mussels are harvested from July and prized for their silky flesh and delicate, sweet flavour.  

🍽️ Five French recipes to discover this summer 

1. Cherry tomato and Ossau Iraty muffins 

Savoury muffins make the perfect contribution to a summer picnic. Give muffin batter a flavour boost with aromatic thyme and the gentle heat of espelette pepper (Piment d’Espelette PDO), then pour over juicy cherry tomatoes and cubes of Ossau Iraty before baking for 25 mins. These muffins are easy to transport to a summer gathering. Don’t forget the rosé!  

2. Summer French bean salad with Buttermilk Dressing and French Sea Salt 

French beans are the star of this elegant salad. Serve green and yellow beans together with tender romano beans for a mixture of colours and textures. Toss with sliced shallots and basil then dress with a silky organic buttermilk and lemon dressing. A sprinkling of Fleur de Sel de Guérande sea salt PGI adds irresistible crunch.  

3. Grilled sisteron lamb chops 

Give your next barbecue a French twist and serve juicy grilled Sisteron lamb chops. Fire up your BBQ or a griddle pan and grill grass-fed Sisteron lamb, which hails from the Southern Alps and has PGI status. Serve alongside griddled summer vegetables such as yellow and green courgettes. 

4. French goat cheese and fig tartines with Bayonne ham 

Summer entertaining calls for effortlessly chic dishes with minimal prep. Tartines are a French classic for good reason. Layer up crisp and golden toasts with a variety of seasonal toppings. Start with the winning combination of Bayonne Ham PGI, creamy Sainte Maure de Touraine PDO goat’s cheese, figs and a drizzle of honey.  

5. French plum, tomato and apricot tartlets 

Showcase a trio of French produce with these plum, tomato and apricot tartlets. Make the pastry with Charentes-Poitou butter PDO, loved by pastry chefs for its creamy texture and nutty flavour. Top some bases with fresh pesto and ripe French tomatoes, then the remainder with ground almonds, plums, apricots and brown sugar.