As soon as the sun shines its first rays, the fans of the barbecue take out their gear and invite you to eat merguez sausages or a rib of beef. In May, it's very pleasant, but we must admit that in August, it becomes boring to always eat the same grilled meats. Here are some ideas to innovate, impress your friends around a barbecue or a plancha...
In summer, that is to say from April until the end of September - more or less depending on the regions of France - we enjoy having lunch or dinner outside, with family or friends. Whether you have a barbecue or a plancha, for these cooking appliances to be easy to use, they must, first of all, be easily accessible for a quick start, which does not require a move.
Then, rather than relying on the "grilled" promotions of your supermarket, turn to seasonal ingredients and you will see that, with a little imagination, you will offer your guests colorful and tasty dishes, which will come out a little off the beaten track. To do this, you can rely on Carla Bardi's book "Aperitifs, barbecues &summer recipes" (Editions Larousse) released on May 20, 2015, for a very interesting price since it is only €13.90 and suggests 200 "sunny" recipe ideas to do outdoors, on a picnic or around the a BBQ!
Try spicy shrimp skewers, chicken and blue cheese burgers, smoked ribs with sweet and sour sauce, Mexican nachos, to give you some ideas! Not to mention that summer is really conducive to cooking vegetarian dishes since the production of fruits and vegetables is at its peak!
Alongside what you cook on the barbecue or on the plancha, don't hesitate to innovate with generous and gourmet salads, such as a pasta salad, a bulgur and cherry tomato salad, farfalle with grilled vegetables, or still small oriental vegetables that smell good of curry and turmeric.
If you organize a meal outside, on your terrace or under the arbor in your garden, whether it's a casual meal or a more chic evening, also innovate from the aperitif with hummus and homemade guacamole, dips of all kinds, marinated sardines, bricks and rolls, tapenades, mini sandwiches without forgetting the essential gazpacho!
You will offer a nice cheese platter, preferably raw milk, more authentic and tastier due to good aging. You will not forget to have some fresh fruit which will serve both as decoration and as an accompaniment (raisins, apricots, figs...).
Finally, you can opt for fresh and light desserts:with the heat, a melon salad and ginger syrup will be more successful than a chocolate fondant! A peach or grapefruit granita, a homemade sorbet, a fruit tart will be just as appreciated by the most "choosy people"!
With that, it's up to you to play for your next bucolic invitation!
