Summer recipes for your garden party

When people think of classic garden party food, they immediately think of burgers, steaks and sausages. However, this isn’t something that you have to stick to and why not give some delicious vegetarian recipes a go this summer. Vegetarian kebabs and delicious salads are guaranteed to wow your guests at your garden party. These fresh dishes are perfect for sunny summer afternoons in the garden. If you would like to organise a vegetarian barbecue, you'll find various garden party recipes to prepare and summer dishes with lots of fresh vegetables that are guaranteed to delight your guests.

Ingredients:

(Makes around 15 kebabs)

• 500 g Feta

• 2 or 3 large courgettes

• 30 cherry tomatoes

• Salt and pepper

• 10 tbsp olive oil

• Dried basil and oregano

• Skewers

Ingredients for tzatziki:

• 250 g Greek yoghurt

• ½ cucumber

• 1 or 2 garlic cloves

• Salt and pepper

• A drizzle of olive oil

Method:

1. Peel the courgettes and cut them into thin strips.

2. Cut the feta into 45 equal pieces.

3. Wrap the pieces of courgette around the feta and then put them onto the skewers with cherry tomatoes in between.

4. Mix the olive oil with some salt, pepper and mixed herbs and carefully drizzle it over the vegetable kebabs.

5. Now you will need to gently grill both sides of the kebab until the feta starts to brown.

How to make a simple tzatziki dip:

It is best to prepare the tzatziki the day before so that it can sit for a couple of hours:

1. Start by peeling and grating the cucumber.

2. Add some salt to the grated pieces of cucumber and then leave them to sit for at least half an hour.

3. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic and mix with the yoghurt.

4. Once the cucumber has been left to sit, you can then pass it through a fine sieve or take a clean cloth and gently squeeze any excess liquid out of it.

5. Mix the cucumber with the yoghurt and season with some salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

• 4 aubergines

• Cumin

• Coriander

• 12 tomatoes

• 2 chillies

• 1 large onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• Salt and pepper

• Honey (optional)

Method:

1. Cut the aubergines into thin slices.

2. Next place the sliced aubergines onto a piece of kitchen towel and then add some salt and leave them to sit for about half an hour. During this time, the aubergines will lose some of their moisture, which will help prevent them from becoming too mushy later when they are grilled.

3. Next you need to prepare the tomato salsa. Wash and dry the tomatoes, peel them and cut them into small cubes.

4. Give the chillies a quick rinse and then chop them. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic.

5. Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onion, chilli and garlic. Now add the tomato puree and gently sauté for a couple of minutes.

6. Now add 2/3 of the finely chopped tomatoes and simmer over a medium heat with the lid on for about 20 minutes.

7. Add some salt, pepper, honey or other herbs such as dried oregano to your homemade salsa. Next add the remaining tomatoes and leave everything to cool.

8. Now give the slices of aubergine a quick pat with a piece of kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture and then put them on a preheated grill.

9. Grill the aubergines on both sides until softened and lightly charred. You can then season the aubergine slices with a little bit of salt and cumin.

10. Serve the grilled aubergines with the spicy tomato salsa and some fresh coriander.

Tip: You can also prepare the tomato salsa the day before your garden party and leave it in the fridge to keep cool until serving. This makes it especially refreshing on hot summer days.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

• 2 cauliflowers

• Olive oil

• 60 g parmesan

• BBQ herb mix

• Parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients needed for the mint dip:

• 200 g natural yoghurt

• 20 g fresh mint leaves

• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Start by carefully removing the leaves from the cauliflower and then cut it into about 2 to 3 cm thick slices. Make sure that you keep the stalk in the middle, as it will hold the florets together. You can also cut the smaller outer florets into small pieces and fry them.

2. Mix the oil, Parmesan and BBQ seasoning to taste. Then brush the cauliflower steaks with the marinade on both sides.

3. Now put the cauliflower steaks on the grill or on a griddle pan. Leave them to sear on both sides until golden brown.

4. For the mint dip, mix the yoghurt with finely chopped mint leaves and then season with some salt and pepper.

Tip: Do not turn the cauliflower steaks over too often as they could end up breaking. You can use a skewer to check if they are cooked.

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

• 300 g Bulgur wheat

• 8 firm tomatoes

• 2 cucumbers

• 8 spring onions

• 3 bunches of flat leaf parsley

• 2 mint bunches

• 2 lemons

• 10 - 12 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put the bulgur wheat into a pan and pour boiling water mixed with vegetable stock over it (approx. 600 ml for 300 g bulgur wheat). Leave to soak for about half an hour.

2. Next wash the herbs, spring onions and other vegetables.

3. Cut the cucumbers and tomatoes into cubes and cut the spring onions into small rings.

4. Roughly chop the bunches of mint and parsley or alternatively you can just tear them with your hands.

5. Mix the vegetables and herbs together and season the mixture with some salt and pepper and a lemon and olive oil dressing.

6. Finally add the cooled bulgur wheat to the salad and finish off with some seasoning.

Tip: Tabbouleh is usually served on a bed of romaine lettuce.

Ingredients:

(Serves 6)

• 500 g fresh spinach

• 400 g strawberries

• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 7 tbsp olive oil

• Honey

• Salt and pepper

• (Optional) goats cheese, nuts and basil

Method:

1. Wash the strawberries and spinach and then leave them to dry.

2. Next make the salad dressing by mixing together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and salt and pepper.

3. Clean the strawberries and then cut them in half. You can cut the spinach into bite-sized strips. Mix the strawberries and spinach in a large bowl.

4. Add the dressing and then leave the salad for at least 15 minutes to allow time for the dressing and flavours to be absorbed by the strawberries and spinach.

Tip: Before serving, you can jazz up your salad with some goats cheese, fresh basil or roasted walnuts or pine nuts.

Conclusion: vegetarian barbecue recipes

Summery recipes with lots of fresh vegetables are perfect for a garden party. They go very well with classic barbecue dishes, but you can use these recipes to organise a vegetarian barbecue. These garden party recipes can easily be prepared and adapted to the number of guests who will be attending your garden party. We hope you enjoy our mouthwatering vegetarian summer recipes!

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