Whatever the weather, you can spice up your barbecue with these side dishes, writes DOMINI KEMP
THE PAST TWO years have been so miserable, weather-wise, that it’s only right and proper that the Sunshine God threw us a bone. Can you imagine how much more misery-guts we’d all be, if we were having as soggy a summer as we did last year? Even if it rains solidly for the rest of the summer season, I feel I have had a decent summer, and that cheated feeling that descends as the evenings get shorter will be somewhat softened. I’ve definitely worn a few T-shirts this year and have regularly applied the sun-block. I’ve even ditched my runners, on the odd occasion, for some flip-flops that show off my trotter-like feet. That description may seem a bit harsh, but trust me, most people who stand all day for years on end have truly hideous feet. Show me a chef with gorgeous hands and feet and I’ll show you a lazy bones.
Last year, I’m pretty sure the heating had to be stuck on several times and the duvet definitely remained the only choice of bedclothes. But this year is different. On several evenings, I have smelt the umami scent of burning protein on barbecues that never saw last year’s light of day. I am sure ice-cream sales are up. And even though it’s grim out there in the real world, people are a bit more upbeat than they should be. I chalk it all down to the sunshine, because when it’s gloriously sunny, you can stick the South of France. Ireland’s where it’s at.
So, go light your barbecue. St Swithin’s day (July 15th) was a torrential downpour last year, so we ended up with 40 days of sodden misery. The fact that we had 40 days of misery prior to that didn’t make much difference. This year’s July 15th was a bit of a mixed bag. Anyway, here are a couple of dishes that will work well with your barbecue grub. I really love these spuds when they’ve cooled down to lukewarm – as when they are piping hot, you don’t get all the flavour of the Parmesan and pesto.
You can have them stuffed and assembled, then give them their 25 to 30- minute blast in the oven and happily leave out for several hours, for people to munch on. Allow one whole spud per person, as once you’ve had one half, you’ll be back for another. Very popular with the nippers, too. The celery salad is quick and easy, and good for outdoorsy parties as it stays pretty crunchy. It also lasts for ages, so won’t turn into silage if left out for a few hours.
Celery cucumber salad
Feeds six as a side order
1 cucumber
1 head celery
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp English mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
80ml olive oil
Flat-leaf parsley
Chop up the cucumber, but take the skin off. Chop the celery as finely as possible. Season well. In a small bowl, mix the mustards with the lemon juice and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season well and pour onto the salad. Add lots of chopped- up parsley and taste. Season as necessary, but this lasts well for a few hours.
Pesto potatoes
Serves four to six
6 good sized potatoes
20ml crème fraîche
200g white cheddar, grated
2 tbsp pesto
2 cloves garlic peeled crushed
Salt pepper
100g Parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Wash the spuds and score them, so that you can open them up easily after they are baked. Bake them for about 45 minutes to an hour. No foil or oil. You’re just looking for crispy skins and soft flesh inside. Mix the crème fraîche along with the cheddar, pesto and garlic. When the spuds are cooked, cut them fully in half and either let them cool down a little, or else hold on to them with a tea towel and scoop out the flesh into the crème fraîche mixture. Place all the empty skins on a large baking tray. Mix and lightly mash the potato flesh well, season and taste. They should be über-tasty.
Generously stuff the cheesy mixture back into the spuds. You may be left with a little cheesy spud mixture that just won’t fit, but I tend to overstuff them. They can be stuffed and left to cool, then topped with Parmesan, cooked, then eaten (but if you do this final cooking stage, then let them cool down overnight and re-heat them the next day, they don’t taste as nice). When ready for final blast, cook them at 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling over. Let them cool down for at least 20 minutes before serving. dkemp@irishtimes.com.
See also www.itsa.ie
Food cooked and styled by Domini Kemp.