Well I've seen the sunshine for 2 days on the trot now, so I'm starting to think of summer..

Summer dishes, things for hot days, things for out of doors ? things for lunch at work ?

I'm hoping to think of some new and different things over the next few weeks, but what about you, any ideas ?

Steve

Had our first BBQ of the season on weekend - Pete planted the potatoes out and did some general gardening whilst I did the BBQ. Just a basic meat fest of burgers, sausages and lamb chops with white bread buns, home made green tomato ketchup and some tiptree bbq sauce. And some corn on the cob for me, BBQed so the kernels get some black on them. Perfect!

It's also nearly time for salads. My fave last year was crunchy and tended to include thinly sliced red onions, cucumber, sugarsnap peas, raw and chopped, cucumber, cherry tomatoes halves and home-made dressing (just basic honey, oil, vinegar shaken). Sooo delicious. And to make it into more substantial meal, would mix in chopped leftover roast chicken.

Mmmmmmm!

Its not BBQ season just yet, weather dropped the sunshine and went cold again !!

Spicy burgers, chicken legs.... ?...

I fancy making some sort of parcels.. lots of goodies in there but all pre-done and ready to go... ??

Steve

You mean something like your Spanakopittas or Sausage Rolls or Sausage samosas with a completely different types of filling?

Oh I see. I sometimes do that with rice dishes like biryanies. Make small parcels of individual portions in foil and heat them up on a BBQ, to serve with barbecued meats.

Fruit salad parcels are also nice, served hot with a drop of chosen booze and with cold ice-cream.

ooh now thats an idea.. make up a batch of my "pilau" rice, allow it to cool, then parcel it up. Make some chicken legs/skewers with a nice coating (more curry than BBQ flavour) get them on the grill, then warm the rice and serve.. that would make a very welcome and tasty change to a normal bbq !

Steve

Talking seasons I love the arrival of Jersey Royals! recently made Mamta's Bombay Aloo Potatoes with them delicious both hot and then cold for lunch the next day!

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=13017

Saw them on Saturday Kitchen being glazed in maple syrup! Might cautiously try a few like this.

Asparagus, spinach, mint, watercress all my favorite green things at once so I am spoilt for a few months.

Internationally, I thought I would try and get to grips with some Vietnamese recipes - less heavy and cloying than Chinese for summer. Got a book from the library and have Rick Stein's 'Far Eastern Odyssey.' Looks like lots of yummy salads, soups, hot pots and some dishes for grilling/BBQ. Even some parcels Steve!- Cabbage packages, spring/summer rolls..... Not recommending anything yet until I've experimented.

I made this on the weekend for friends (new pictures!), they all complimented on the tenderness and taste. I had made extra, but most went, which was quite pleasing. They can cook on a BBQ too; Chicken Tikka

Look here too;

BBQ Selection . I must admit I forget to update it every time I add a suitable recipe. Put BBQ in search window and see what comes up.

Winton, Vietnamese food IS lovely. We went there in 1994 and had some really great food. Dessert was always caramalised bananas though, god fed up with it in the end. There baguettes were very fresh and very nice.

more great ideas there !.... I wonder if a theme might be an idea?.. all Indian food?.. Each dish from another country/region?.. things you think are one thing but are actually a different dish from somewhere else?...

I like the last idea .. It looks like a burger but is actually a Shami Kebab, or it looks like bbq chicken but is fantastic tandoor... sausage is sheek kebab etc... (would have to tone down the heat a little for the sensitive..)

Steve

We've been doing barbecues by the pool for several weeks now (weather weird here in the South of France: brilliantly hot days alternating with drab, cold, rainy days).

In the summer months, we do lots of Greek stuff to go with barbecued meat: melitsanasalata, tzatziki, and Greek 'peasant' salad, but our favourite summer dish is probably gaspacho: we do it with oodles of garnish (finely cubed red pepper and oignons doux, plus croutons).

But we also do Indian kebabs, and once we get that tandoor built next to the swimming pool, there are countless possibilities.

We're currently broke, but it's somehow hard to get any sympathy from British friends when they know you have a pool in the sunshine!

Phil