Everyone has their own ideal barbecue. It’s something that is almost universal. Hot succulent cuts of meat, chicken wings, turkey drumsticks and juicy pork sausages.
Throughout the world, there are many different recipes, and so many different flavors have mixed as the world has become smaller and cuisines have passed hands in modern society.
It’s a time where the family and friends get together, forget about the world and enjoy each other’s company. There is no better way than to instil an adjacent bone, than sharing breaking bread with one another.
Why should meat take the centre stage though? Vegetables, if cooked right, can make buffalo wings take a backseat. First, you need the reasons and know how to grow them.
Spicy courgettes
Courgettes are so simple to grow, and the bonus is, that you get many courgettes from a single planting. You can expect a harvest dependent on the type you sow, in around 6 weeks to just 3 months.
This vegetable does like to spread out as it grows, so use big produce pots with good width and height; preferably around 10 litres in capacity. When the courgettes have become 12 centimetres long they are ready to be pulled out and ready to be cleaned and eaten.
Recommended recipe: Marinate cut courgettes in a piri-piri marinade overnight, then cut some red bell peppers and onions and fix them in the between the courgettes on skewers. Roast them on flaming hot cast iron BBQ Plates & Grills.
Spicy, grill-marked vegetables with a smoky kick go well with the main course, and it’s a clever way to get children to eat some of their five-a-day.
Stuffed mushrooms
Mushrooms go superbly well for a full English breakfast, finger food party, and of course a backyard barbecue in the shining sunlight. Mushroom growing is somewhat daunting as unlike other vegetables; a mushroom is classed as fungi.
Don’t let that word scare you, if you know the basics of gardening you’re half way there; there is no specialist equipment required and all mushroom grow kits come with instructions, if you buy at a local garden market, the seller will usually offer instructions on how to grow them.
Oyster and white button mushrooms are the favourite for beginners are they don’t need a lot of babysitting and are quite resilient to their environment. Mushrooms prefer dark, moist areas to foster, so your basement would be the ideal place. Use a 15 by 18-inch tray around 8 inches deep and fill it with mushroom compost, then inoculate the tray with the mushroom spawn.
Use a small heating pad to keep the soil temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit for a month until you see tiny shoots. Lower the temperature to 60 degrees F. and cover the shoot with another inch of potting soil. Keep them watered and cover with a damp cloth. The harvest should appear in another month or so; when you see their caps spread out, you can cut them from the stem, and they’re ready to eat.
Recommended recipe: Wash the mushrooms and leave them to dry naturally. Take out their stalk and either put some garlic butter inside the crevice or soft ricotta cheese with a little red chilli pepper. Lay them on the grill with button side down.
Gently roll them onto their side for 30 seconds to a minute each side. Then lay them down carefully on their bottom to lightly brown them; be careful the filling doesn’t spill out. When lightly golden brown, they’re ready to serve to your guests.
