Food writer Diana Henry has a new cookbook, called How To Eat A Peach. Here are three of her lavish but luscious recipes...

Asparagus, peas and radishes with pistachio pesto (serves 6)

For the pesto: 150g shelled unsalted pistachio nuts 8 spring onions, trimmed and chopped 15g unsalted butter 1 fat garlic clove, crushed 170ml extra virgin olive oil 130g ricotta, fresh rather than UHT 40g pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper For the vegetables: 8-10 radishes, preferably French breakfast radishes 650g asparagus 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3/4tbsp white balsamic vinegar 200G fresh raw peas 25g pea shoots Start with the pesto. Boil two-thirds of the pistachios in water for four minutes; this softens them and makes the pesto creamy. Drain and dry them in a tea towel. You need to rub off all the papery skin (laborious but therapeutic). Lightly toast the rest of the nuts in a dry pan for about 30 seconds. You will be able to smell the toasted aroma. Immediately transfer to a plate.

Cook the spring onions in the butter in a small saucepan until soft, but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Blitz all the nuts with the spring onions and garlic in a food processor, gradually adding the extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the ricotta and pecorino or Parmesan. Season and taste.

Now for the vegetables. Shave the radishes using a mandoline, or cut them very finely with a sharp knife. Break or cut off the base of each asparagus spear (if you use your hands rather than a knife, you can feel where the natural break is). Bring a pan with about 7.5cm of water to the boil. Stand the asparagus in this, bases in the water, spears leaning against the side (they cook in the steam). Cover with a lid. Cook until only just tender, testing with a point of a knife. How long it takes depends on the thickness of the asparagus. If it’s of average thickness, I reckon on seven minutes, but I usually start checking after four. Lift the asparagus out of the pan, then quickly dry it of excess moisture by patting it with a clean tea towel.

Add a little of the asparagus cooking water to the pesto to loosen and thin it. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and the white balsamic vinegar together and season. Divide the asparagus, raw peas, radishes and pea shoots between six plates - or put them all on a platter - and drizzle with the white balsamic dressing. Spoon on some of the pesto and offer the rest at the table.

Gooseberry & almond cake with lemon thyme syrup (serves 6-8)

For the cake: 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the tin 125g caster sugar, plus 5tbsp extra 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 75g plain flour, sifted 2tsp chopped lemon thyme leaves Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 75g ground almonds (preferably freshly ground) 3/4tsp baking powder 350g gooseberries, topped and tailed For the syrup: 4tbsp granulated sugar Juice of 2 large lemons 2tsp lemon thyme leaves For the poached gooseberries (optional): 75g granulated sugar 2 lemon thyme sprigs 500g gooseberries, topped and tailed To serve: Thyme flowers Icing sugar, to dust (optional) Sweetened creme fraiche, or whipped cream Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

Beat the butter and the 125g of caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add one tablespoon of the flour. Put the lemon thyme leaves in a mortar with the lemon zest and pound together to release the fragrance. Add to the batter and briefly mix.

Fold in the rest of the flour, the almonds and the baking powder, using a large metal spoon. Scrape into the tin. Toss the gooseberries with the remaining five tablespoons of caster sugar and spread over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the syrup, quickly heat the granulated sugar, lemon juice and lemon thyme leaves in a saucepan, stirring. Pierce the cake all over with a skewer while it is still warm and slowly pour the syrup into it. Leave to cool a little, then carefully remove from the tin and put on a serving plate.

Meanwhile, make the poached gooseberries. Heat 175ml of water, the granulated sugar and lemon thyme together in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gooseberries and cook over a medium heat for four minutes, or until the fruit is soft but not collapsing. Leave to cool.

Any thyme flowers you have will look lovely on top of the cake.

Crab, tomato and saffron tart (serves 6-8)

For the pastry: 250g plain flour, plus more to dust 150g chilled unsalted butter, chopped Good pinch of sea salt flakes 1 egg yolk For the filling: 4 plum tomatoes 15g unsalted butter 1/2tbsp regular olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Pinch of caster sugar (optional) Squeeze of lemon juice 200ml double cream pinch of saffron threads 100ml creme fraiche 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks 200g white crab meat 50g brown crab meat To serve: A green salad, or green beans with toasted almonds, and potatoes if you like.

To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the yolk with half a tablespoon of very cold water, add it and whizz again. The pastry should come together into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, then roll out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the bottom with a fork, then chill in the fridge or freezer until cold and firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and put in a metal baking sheet to heat up. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake the pastry case, on the hot baking sheet, for 14 minutes, removing the paper and beans after seven. Leave to cool.

Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water and leave for 20 seconds, then remove. Skin, halve, deseed and cut the flesh into slivers. Heat the butter and regular olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and tomatoes gently until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic, season and continue to cook until you have a thick puree. Taste. If the tomatoes didn’t have the best flavour to begin with, it will benefit from the tiniest bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. The puree should be dry. Spoon it into the pastry case.

Put about 50ml of the double cream in a saucepan and add the saffron threads. Heat until just under boiling, then stir until you can see the saffron colouring the cream. Leave to cool. Mix this with the rest of the double cream, the creme fraiche, egg and egg yolks. Season well and gently stir in all the crab. Slowly pour into the tart case.

Return the tart to the hot baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling just set in the middle.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the tart tin and serve.