Vegan & Easy Summer Food Ideas for a Cosy Evening
- Indoora
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work
You Are Invited to a Whimsical Summer Supper
The longest days of the year have arrived. And it is true, there is something magical about summer evenings (when viewed through a softer lens and we forget mosquitoes!).
Not the crowded public transport, the overheated apartments, or the rush from one obligation to the next. But the kind of summer that lives in storybooks. The one filled with wildflowers and picnic baskets, deserted lakes, strawberries, books read beneath shady trees, and long afternoons that seem to stretch forever.
This little summer supper, as well as my series Tulipberry Cottage, was inspired by exactly that feeling.
So pull up a chair and join me to enjoy these Vegan & Easy Summer Food Ideas! Don't forget to check the Cosy details for a special summer evening!
On the Menu
Vegan & Easy Summer Food Ideas
Tomato & Rosemary Garden Focaccia
A happy summer moment? Watching focaccia rise on a sunny afternoon.
I topped mine with cherry tomatoes from the vine, rosemary, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds, but this recipe is wonderfully adaptable. Think of it as a blank canvas for whatever is growing in your garden or calling your name at the market.
Ingredients
For the yeast
1⅓ cups warm water
2 teaspoons raw sugar
7g (1 package) dry yeast
For the dough
3½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt
For topping
Tomato slices
Fresh rosemary
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Method
Combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy.
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.
Add the yeast mixture and olive oil.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size (2 hours approximately)
Transfer to a baking tray and gently stretch the dough.
Press dimples into the surface with your fingertips.
Allow to rise for 30 minutes more.
Arrange the toppings.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 200°C (390°F) for approximately 20–25 minutes until golden.
You can decorate your focaccia with herbs and vegetables to create little garden scenes, flowers, or whimsical patterns. Some of my favourite versions have looked almost too pretty to eat.
Here's the video featuring two pretty garden focaccias!
Berry Lemonade
Basically, summer in a jug.
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh berries
Juice of 2–3 lemons
Cold water
Mint (optional)
Sweetener of choice (optional)
Mix everything together and adjust sweetness to taste.
Serve chilled with ice, fresh mint, and a slice of lemon.
Chamomile Raspberry Lemonade
A softer, floral variation perfect for slow evenings.
Ingredients
2 cups strong chamomile tea, cooled
Handful of raspberries
Juice of 2 lemons
Sweetener of choice (optional)
Cold water
Mash the raspberries gently, combine with the remaining ingredients, and serve cold.
Fairy Salad
This may be my favourite dish of the entire supper. It looks as if it belongs in a tiny fairy feast, and it is very healthy.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Radishes
Radish greens
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Method
Slice the potatoes.
Using a flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut flower shapes from each slice.
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Bake until golden and crisp around the edges.
Sauté the mushrooms.
Lightly sauté the radish greens.
Thinly slice the radishes.
Arrange everything together on a platter.
I love how the pink radishes add a touch of colour and how the potato flowers make the whole dish feel slightly magical.
Blueberry Lemon Cake with Blueberry Glaze
The perfect ending to a summer supper.
Tender, bright with lemon, and filled with juicy blueberries.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch of salt
¾ cup vanilla soy milk (or unsweetened soy milk + 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons fresh grated lemon zest (+ more for garnishing)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup olive oil (or melted vegan butter)
1½ cups fresh blueberries
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Mix the soy milk, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and oil.
Add flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir until just combined.
Fold in the blueberries.
Transfer to a loaf tin.
Bake for 45–55 minutes.
Blueberry Glaze
Mix together:
Powdered sugar
Mashed blueberries (you can cook them first)
A splash of lemon juice
Drizzle generously over the cooled cake.
Cosy details for a special summer evening
One of my favourite parts of creating cosy evenings around the table is choosing the little details.
The floral dishes, the napkins, the little vases with flowers, the candles and the tablecloth.
Your favourite movie in the background, a good book and a vintage dress can also help transform an ordinary afternoon into something memorable. I've linked some of the most requested recommendations below.
For Slow Summer Evenings
A beautiful puzzle, a good book, birdsong, a glass of lemonade, and a slice of blueberry cake.
What a beautiful way to spend a quiet evening!
Puzzles
I discovered these illustrated puzzles from Galison with themes like bookshops, mushrooms or tea rooms, and I fell in love with them. The greyboard contains 90% recycled paper, the packaging contains 70% recycled paper and is made responsibly from FSC-certified material and printed with nontoxic inks.
Max and I recently finished the Galison World of Mushrooms – 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, and it was a lot of fun! We've done five other puzzles since then.
Books
Stories and pages I return to for comfort, through words or illustrations.
These are links to my Amazon Storefront*. More books ideas here
*These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to use them. Thank you for supporting my work.
🌿 Timeless Books
🌸 Whimsical & Nature-Inspired
🌼 Botanical & Seasonal
🍰 Cosy & Lifestyle
🐭 Illustrated & Children’s Comfort
My Fern Hollow Bedtime Book / The Seasons in Fern Hollow
🌸 Gentle Fiction
Summer Dresses
Have you taken a look at the lovely dresses from the sustainable fashion brand Son de Flor?
I discovered Son de Flor many years ago, when I only had my Instagram account, and it has been a real pleasure to collaborate with them both there and now on YouTube, and, in a way, be part of the positive change towards more sustainable and ethically produced fashion.
I love their timeless and romantic garments — comfortable, simple, kind to the planet and full of charm.
Other Recommendations: Movies, Series & More
Happy Summer, dear friend. 🌿🍓☀️ I hope this post brings you a bit of comfort and inspiration.
Thank you, as always, for being here, for your love and support!
With love,
Indoora
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