rainy day barbecues 6/23

British summertimes are perhaps not the best for barbecues. At least not in June. But we couldn't resist.

Gathering friends in London Fields for a barbecue, we were afraid that the rain would wash us out. A stroke of luck kept us (relatively) dry until the evening, when the sky opened, drenching everyone.

A new barbie served us well - burgers, sausages, falafel, chicken thighs, steaks and homemade veggie burgers kept the masses protein-stuffed.

The side dishes came fast and plenty - a smorgasbord of mezze. On offer:

-bulgur wheat with goats cheese and summer vegetables roasted in lemon basil and rosemary olive oil. (Here, the rich and nutty bulgur was filling, not cloying, and the aubergines, tomatoes, peppers and onion, infused with the oil, left a clean palette)

-inspired by a Waitrose recipe - broad beans, peas, butter beans and courgettes in white wine vinegar with mint. (The Waitrose recipe called for feta, but the broad beans, peas and butter beans were creamy enough to satisfy)

-oversized pasta shells with mayo, sweetcorn, spring onions, carrot and cucumber. (Jazzed up to differentiate it from its mundane supermarket relatives, no cheese was needed and lots of freshly ground pepper was used throughout)

-gherkin-less potato salad: jersey royal new potatoes, celery, onion, white wine vinegar, mayo and wholegrain mustard. (Only because there were no gherkins to hand - though the tangy mustard and mayo combination coated its crunchy counterparts to perfection)

Friends brought cole slaw (perfectly under-mayonnaised), ripe tomato salad (with a divine shallot vinaigrette), and strawberry mango and mint fruit salad (delightfully fresh and ultimately addictive).

All in all a success - and we were grateful for any leftovers - which we served with cold roast chicken the next day. Gorgeous.