So the heatwave continues and we have been eating ‘alfresco’ as much as possible. Certainly a record for us as a family, I don’t remember a summer like it!
We have not just been eating outside but also cooking on the bbq as much as possible. When its hot, appetites are suppressed and of course we look for refreshing drinks, light bites, fresh salads and fruit – nothing beats a hunk of watermelon on a hot afternoon..
I was looking online and there are very little recipe books or collections that concentrate on ‘summer eating’ and keeping cool with cooking too. This is not the time to be baking all day and roasting in the oven, unless you are happy to also roast inside and out!
We have the wonderful Thermomix in our kitchen and of course this does everything but bake, roast, so its just been ideal but not everyone has one of these on their worktop! Today I have been busy preparing Spanish Tapas, several small dishes that we can share with friends over a glass of Sangria later on. I have been looking at outdoor kitchens which of course most Italian and French families have. I was lucky enough to visit my girlfriend nearby Nice, France last summer and she told me from May they pretty much move poolside to their outdoor kitchen.
So endless possibilities on what you can prepare for meals. Using the hob you can boil pasta, make sauces, and saute courgettes, tomatoes and mushrooms. Chopping up salads, using fruit (fresh and dried) meat, fish and leftover vegetables makes for more creative lunch or accompaniment. We haven’t got a pizza oven but being able to make fresh bread, flatbreads, pizzas sweet and savoury must be heaven on a plate!
Keeping food light but flavoursome is so important and a simple salad dressing can make a meal. The sky really is the limit!
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