Melon Salad And Georgian-style Grilled Vegetables: Alice Zaslavsky’s Recipes For Barbecue-friendly Sides

Adjapsandal is 1 of my favourite Georgian go-tos, nary matter nan season. Its much accepted shape is broody and stewy, designed to burble distant connected a wintertime stove a spot for illustration ratatouille, but pinch much caller herbs. In summer, while nan barbecue’s connected and veg dishes of this benignant are va-va-voom, it makes consciousness to conscionable chuck them connected nan barbie alternatively and possibly squad pinch a spicy shortcut adjika paste utilizing a jar of roast peppers. And, second, a very adaptable carpaccio for immoderate patient consequence successful your fridge aliases consequence bowl: melons, chromatic consequence – heck, moreover pineapple! The cardinal is to usage a crisp weapon and portion against nan atom for nan champion mouthfeel, overmuch arsenic you mightiness sashimi.

Barbecued adjapsandal pinch adjika yoghurt dressing (pictured top)

Piquillo peppers activity champion here, if you tin find them, but you tin usage nan ones from nan deli counter, too, though possibly adhd a scatter much red-wine vinegar to equilibrium nan acidity, tasting arsenic you go. If it’s not barbecue weather, you could besides navigator this indoors connected a griddle – conscionable make judge to get it smoking basking and unfastened a window.

Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4-6

1 ample aliases 2 mean aubergine (about 500g), trim into 1cm-thick discs
2 ample courgettes (about 400g), trim into 1cm-thick discs
1 ample reddish onion (about 250g), peeled and trim into 1cm-thick rings
4 ample tomatoes (about 400g), quartered vertically
60ml extra-virgin oliva oil, positive other for brushing

For nan adjika
4 ail cloves
40g sun-dried tomatoes, drained
250g drained piquillo peppers
¼ tsp mild chilli flakes
15g coriander sprigs, leaves picked and reserved to garnish
15g parsley, stems and leaves
15g holy basil, aliases Thai aliases young regular basil leaves, positive other to garnish
30ml neutral oil – I usage sunflower aliases grapeseed
1 tsp crushed fenugreek
1 tsp crushed coriander
1 tsp brackish flakes
½ tsp sweetener
¼ tsp crushed achromatic pepper

To finish
230g earthy yoghurt

Heat a barbecue aliases grill sheet until smoking. Pop nan sliced aubergine and courgette connected a baking tray and put nan bulb and herb connected another. Brush nan aubergine generously pinch oliva lipid (or usage an lipid spray); nan courgette doesn’t request arsenic overmuch oil, because nan residual lipid near connected nan grill by nan aubergines will beryllium plenty.

Lay nan aubergines connected nan unfastened grill broadside of nan barbecue for 10–15 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked done and pinch defined char marks (more is much pinch aubergine, really). Transfer nan cooked slices to nan precocious rack to support lukewarm (if you don’t person an precocious rack, popular them backmost connected nan tray and screen loosely pinch foil).

Next, grill nan courgette slices for six to 8 minutes, flipping them complete halfway. Repeat pinch nan tomatoes and onion, until they are somewhat blackened and blistered and seeping retired juice. As each rootlike is cooked, present them to nan aubergines connected nan precocious rack (or successful nan loosely covered tray) to support warm.

For nan adjika, put everything successful a mini blender and whizz smooth. Taste and play pinch brackish and pepper.

When you’re fresh to serve, dot blobs of nan adjika and nan yoghurt each complete a ample platter, past usage a elastic spatula aliases nan backmost of a spoon to smear them into a marbled pattern. Arrange each nan lukewarm grilled vegetables connected top, past decorativeness pinch other oliva oil, nan reserved coriander leaves and other basil leaves.

Honeydew carpaccio pinch coriander pesto

Some group don’t for illustration coriander (they’re wrong), but you could usage basil to make nan pesto instead; if request be, it could easy beryllium made days successful beforehand and loosened pinch other oil. Serve chilled connected a basking summer’s day.

Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4-6

200g yellowish cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
250g babe cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tbsp lime juice
1 perfectly ripe honeydew melon (about 1.2 kg), peeled and sliced into bladed half-moons

For nan coriander pesto
25g caller coriander, prettier sprigs reserved to garnish
40g salted roasted peanuts
30g babe spinach leaves, refreshed successful chilled h2o
125ml neutral oil – I usage peanut aliases atom bran
1 ail clove, peeled
½ tbsp food condiment
½ tbsp sesame lipid
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
½ tsp sweetener
½ tsp brackish
1 pinch cracked achromatic pepper

To finish
1 agelong greenish chilli, soma finely sliced
40g salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Lime cheeks

To make nan pesto, muddle each nan ingredients successful a mortar aliases blitz successful a nutrient processor until smooth. Adjust nan seasoning to taste, if necessary, past put successful a vessel if serving imminently, aliases decant into a cleanable jar and shop successful nan fridge if making ahead.

Toss nan halved tomatoes and cucumber rounds successful nan lime juice. Arrange nan melon slices connected a platter and scatter nan herb and cucumber connected top. Drizzle pinch nan coriander pesto and sprinkle pinch nan sliced chilli, chopped peanuts and reserved coriander sprigs. Serve pinch lime cheeks for squeezing over.

• These recipes are edited extracts from Salad for Days, by Alice Zaslavsky, published by Murdoch Books astatine £20. To support nan Guardian, bid your transcript for £18 astatine guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges whitethorn apply.