The Reform of The BBQ: Veggie Recipes From Tess Ward And Spring To Light Your Fire

Vegetables and I have a tempestuous relationship. This is something, I know, that I was supposed to grow out of by the time I learned to talk. However, unfortunately for my parents, the only words that came out of my mouth when we reached this stage were, “no thanks.” Or crying, There was a lot of crying. I’m am pretty sure at different points I vehemently disliked certain vegetables more. Carrots, broccoli and cauliflower certainly had their moments. In fact, cauliflower may still be having a moment… but what remains is that I essentially only ate protein and carbohydrates for a number of years, with the addition of fruit. Anything green was off the menu. Goodness knows how I managed it.

The turning point for this was at a gastropub in suburbia. My mother forced green beans in shallot butter upon me – and I loved it. It transpired that, so long as my greens were swimming in something delicious and melted, I could totally see away with them. But equally, it opened up possibilities for the humble vegetable, which in themselves have come far into the spotlight of late. In fact, I blame tired methods and lack of flair for my disregard for them as a child. If I was served up courgetti with cashew pesto, it would have been a totally different story.

It is with this thought, that we approach the focus of this feature: the BBQ. From a family of grill-purists (meat only please, lightly charred) and my rocky past with the good greens, it has always been tricky for me to get my head around how vegetarians could forgo such a summer ritual. But those times have passed. These days’ it is as much about the side salad situation, as it is the main show. Could anything actually be more delicious than asparagus, peppers, or even avocado on the charcoal grill? Because of this revelation, we wanted to dedicate a post to redesign the summer BBQ. To all the vegetarians out there who are either having to deal with raised eyebrows when you offer to host, or are turning up to friend’s gardens with little exciting on offer, we hope these amazing recipes from Spring at Somerset House’s Skye Gyngell and clever chef Tess Ward will help you and your veggies steal the show.


The Reform of The BBQ: Veggie Recipes From Tess Ward And Spring To Light Your FireSkye Gyngell

Slaw with pears, toasted hazelnuts and buttermilk dressing

Serves 6

120g shelled and skinned hazelnuts

1⁄4 red cabbage, cored 1⁄4 white cabbage, cored 1 fennel bulb, peeled

3 firm ripe pears

A bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

1 organic free-range egg yolk

1⁄2 tbsp Dijon mustard

11⁄2 tsp honey

1 tbsp good quality cider vinegar

180ml mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast them on the middle shelf of the oven for 4–5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then chop roughly.

Finely slice both the red and white cabbage into thin ribbons and place in a bowl. Remove the tough, fibrous outer layer from the fennel, cut the bulb in half lengthways and then slice very finely. Add to the cabbage.

Halve the pears, remove the core and then slice finely. Add to the bowl of cabbage and fennel, toss lightly and season well with salt and plenty of pepper. Set aside while you make the dressing.

Put the egg yolk, mustard, honey and vinegar into a small bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir vigorously to combine. Now whisk in the olive oil slowly, almost drip by drip to begin with, increasing the flow slightly once the dressing begins to homogenise. Continue until all the oil is incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together gently but thoroughly using your fingertips. Set aside in a cool place for an hour or two before serving.


veggie-bbq-the-lifestyle-edit-2Asparagus with crème fraiche and Parmesan

Serves 4

About 20–30 asparagus spears

11⁄2 tbsp mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

2 organic free-range eggs 150ml crème fraîche

50g Parmesan, freshly grated

A scattering of borage flowers (or chervil or chives), to finish

1) Start with the sauce. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Break the eggs into a bowl that fits snugly on top of the pan and add a pinch of salt. Set the bowl over the pan of boiling water, making sure the base is not in contact with the boiling water, and whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the crème fraîche and whisk continuously until the sauce has slightly thickened; it will become thinner at first, then thicken and almost double in volume.

Remove the bowl from the pan. Add the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and set aside while you cook the asparagus.

Break off and discard the woody ends from the base of the asparagus stalks. Drop the asparagus spears into the pan of boiling water and cook for about 1 minute or until the asparagus is just tender to the bite. Using tongs, remove the asparagus from the water and drain well, then dress with the olive oil and arrange on warm plates.

Set the bowl of sauce back over the pan and heat for a minute to ensure it is warm, then spoon generously over the asparagus. Finish with the borage flowers, if you have them, or chervil or chives.


The Reform of The BBQ: Veggie Recipes From Tess Ward And Spring To Light Your FireTess Ward

Tomato & Pomegranate with Feta

Serves 4

200g cherry tomatoes, chopped in quarters

2 spring onions, chopped

2 tsp garlic infused olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbs pomegranate seeds

2 tbs chopped coriander leaves

2 tbs crumbed feta, plus extra to finish

Ground black pepper

4 Kallø Organic Unsalted Rice Cakes

1) Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

2) Top your Kallø Organic Unsalted Rice Cakes with the mixture and enjoy.

Easy Avocado Ice Cream

Serves 6

3 large, ripe avocados

Zest 1/2 lime and 2 tbsp of juice

300ml thick coconut milk

175g unrefined cane sugar, or coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

Toasted coconut flakes, to serve

Kallø Belgian Dark Chocolate with Orange Rice Cake Thins, to serve

Cut the avocados in half and remove the stone. Scoop out the soft flesh and place into a food processor. Add the lime zest and juice, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

Add smooth, creamy mixture to ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturers instruction.