Fresh-air Feasting

Make the most of your garden in these summer months with the ultimate gardener’s accessory: the barbecue. From gastronomic galas to lawnside snacks, it’s the perfect way to relax outdoors with family and friends.

Summer is a wonderful time for the gardener: days are sunny, evenings are long, the flowers are in bloom, bees, butterflies and birds make flying visits: the garden is a lovely place to be. And what better way to make use of it than with a barbecue. Whether it’s a family lunch, a party or an evening with friends, it allows you to treat your garden as an outdoor room.

The barbecue is perhaps the most communal meal I know, it’s fun, often slapdash, necessarily drawn-out, and generally delicious. And it’s possible in any garden, be it a patio, rooftop, yard, or country estate. Approaches vary from the well-prepared, gastronomic purist to the disorganized, slightly drunken chef of the day, but the great thing about barbecues is that with the minimum of effort you’ll produce appetizing food, as long as you’re patient.

There’s a wide variety of barbecues available now, from the basic open grill, to the fully featured model, fitted with twin and side gas burners, towel rails, lid, and wheels, and prices vary to match. Bear in mind the following before making a purchase:

• Gas or charcoal: nothing beats the taste of charcoal-grilled food, but a gas-fired barbecue is more reliable, taking only about 10 minutes to warm up
  
• Size: think about where you’ll use the barbecue, and where you’ll store it. Also, consider the size of the cooking area and how many people you’ll normally be catering for
  
• Portability: do you want it to be light enough to carry, or fitted with wheels for manoeuvrability?
  
• Lid: a must if want to do more than just grill
  
• Wind shield: very useful if your garden is a bit breezy
  
• Shelves: enable you to have all your ingredients and utensils to hand
  
• Price: think about how often are you going to use your barbecue before splashing out on the most deluxe model
  
  Gas barbecues are relatively easy to control, but there are some essential tips to producing the best results from a charcoal grill:
  
  
• Avoid using pre-soaked briquettes, these tend to give the food a chemical taste; better to use fire lighters to get the coals burning
  
• Light the barbecue around 40-50 minutes before you intend to start cooking
  
• Wait until the coals are covered with ash
  
• The hotter you need the fire, the more the coals should be glowing red
  
• Be patient
  
• Clean the barbecue of ash after use
  
  Happy feasting!
  

Articles reprinted with premission from Greenfingers.com