Linguine with tomatoes, lemon, chilli and crab

This recipe (and variations thereof) has graced summer menus all over the place, the best and first at the brilliant River Cafe in London. But oh, it's good, and so moreish, and seems to epitomise summer in every bite. If there is one good summer pasta dish to have in your repertoire, this should be it. Serves two.

Ingredients(Serves two)

75g cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
170g cooked crab meat (white and brown)
180g wholemeal/wholewheat or spelt linguine
Fresh chopped parsley

Cut the tomatoes in half and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and chilli to a pulp. Mix in the oil, lemon juice and zest. Add the crab to the mix if your mortar is big enough; if not, transfer everything to a slightly bigger bowl.

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente, drain, transfer to a serving bowl, pour over the crab mixture and tomatoes, mix, sprinkle with parsley, and eat.

Lemon Tart

Think sweet, crumbling pastry filled with rich, creamy citrus custard. The two marry together like heaven in the delicious, classic dessert, which is served all over France.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

For the pastry:
150g plain flour
75g cold butter, cut into small pieces
25g caster sugar
1 large egg
For the filling:
2 eggs
50g caster sugar
175ml double cream
juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
sifted icing sugar, for dusting

For the pastry, place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together quickly using your finger tips until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix through. Whisk the egg, then stir into the pastry mix using a round-bladed knife to form a dough ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Place the chilled pastry on a work surface, press out with the heel of your hand, then roll out to fit a 23cm loose-based flan tin. Do not stretch the pastry to fit. Trim away the excess from around the edge, then prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then cook for 20 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/Gas 3. Remove the beans and baking parchment and return the flan case to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar, then add all but 2 tablespoons of the cream, and the lemon juice and zest, and mix together. Pour into the prepared pastry case and cook for 10 minutes. Swirl in the remaining cream to create a marbled effect, then continue to cook for a further 20 minutes until the filling is just set.

Leave to cool and dust with sifted icing sugar before serving.