The Last of the Summer BBQs
It may be September but we’re not quite ready to put the BBQ away and with the weather set to be in the high teens/twenties, we reckon we can squeeze a few more in. But PLEASE no more potato salad and square slices of American cheese. We’ve put together some of our old faithfuls and some new favourites to spice up the side dishes.
Corn Ribs
Photo Credit: Fortheutterloveoffood.com
Inspired by Ottolenghi, corn ribs are our favourite way to eat sweetcorn. No butter running down your arms as you gnaw at the cob like a little mouse and no time spent picking leftover bits out of your teeth afterwards… please don’t tell us we’re the only ones!
You’ll need a sharp knife and to be super careful cutting the corn as you need to cut through the core. Cutting the corn in half makes it a little easier even if you end up with shorter ribs. (You don’t actually eat the core, it gets left behind when you chew/suck the corn off… much like a rib!)
Whack your oven up to max temp, put the ribs into a heavy roasting tin, cover them in oil and bang them in for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
You can serve however you like, with garlic butter, paprika and herbs but they’re also perfect for dipping into Oakes Hot Sauce, mixed into mayo or straight up!
Whipped Feta
There’s zero veg involved here (except a bit of garlic) but it’s the absolute GOAT of BBQ sides and my most requested recipe… yet the simplest!
Equal parts feta and yoghurt, we use The Coconut Collaborative as some family members can’t have cows milk, but most recipes call for greek. Garlic, salt, squidge of lemon to suit your tastes and blend it all up with a stick blender. Sprinkle with a bit of za’atar (to make it a bit bouji!) and serve with flatbreads or dollop on your burger.
PADRONS
Once again, not exactly pushing the culinary boundaries here but not everyone knows how to make them and I refuse to pay £10 for a tiny bowl at a restaurant with fancy wine glasses when you can make them at home in 5 minutes.
Heat some oil in a pan, a biggish one so the peppers can lie flat, lob them in and cook until blistering, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with some salt and serve. Great as a pre-BBQ snack while you’re firing up the barbie.
Asian Slaw
An interesting alternative to the usual coleslaw and a great way to use up cabbages which seem to be in abundance at the moment! There’s no hard and fast rule on what goes in to an asian slaw but red cabbage, carrots and spring onions make a good base, plus coriander if available. Optional extras such as sesame seeds, peppers, radishes, fennel and kohl rabi. The twist comes in the dressing - mix up some olive oil, soy sauce, honey, chilli, ginger and garlic.
Caponata
A Sicilian dish jam-packed with veg - perfect served alongside dips of hummus and whipped feta with toasted ciabatta. I sometimes struggle to find ways to use up aubergine and then I remember that caponata exists. It’s best prepped ahead so the flavours can really marinate.
Recipe available here: https://larderlove.com/easy-sicilian-caponata-recipe-caponata-alla-siciliana/
