Barbecue-steamed green leaves

A barbecue is not just for searing and chargrilling meat – you should think of it as another heat source available to you, like your oven or your hob. A sort of extension to your kitchen into your garden! If you want to get some really different results out of your barbecue, a great idea is to wrap some interesting vegetables in a double-thickness tinfoil parcel, adding some water or wine, a bit of butter or olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. The parcel can then be steamed over the barbie or baked, depending on how moist the veggies are.

Rip up some spinach, rocket, Swiss chard and watercress. Fold a double piece of tinfoil in half and seal up the two sides to make a little bag. Drop in your leaves, and drizzle in some olive oil and lemon juice. Season with sea salt and seal the last edge tightly. Wait until the coals have cooled down a bit, then steam the bag on the barbeque for 5 minutes.