Articles & Recipes

Eating outdoors with friends and family is one of the greatest pleasures of summer, as far as we’re concerned. That said, it can sometimes be hard to know what to cook to feed a crowd, especially when the guest-list keeps growing – much as we love eating them, the thought of flipping burgers and sausages for hours soon has us looking for more practical alternatives! Happily, we know just where to find them; the Butchers counter here at Greendale Farm Shop offers several options when it comes to larger, great-value cuts that will satisfy even the hungriest guests. Best of all, they’re all pretty hands-off when it comes to cooking, so you can get on with the important business of relaxing and enjoying yourself!

Here at Greendale Farm Shop, we offer a great selection of beef, pork, lamb and poultry – and, with BBQ season in full swing, we’re busier than ever! As usual, our hand-made sausages and beefburgers are flying off the shelves, and while they are undeniably delicious, we thought it might be fun to highlight a few alternatives for anyone who feels like trying something different the next time they light the grill. So, with this in mind, we asked our butchers to come up with some fresh BBQ ideas, with the proviso that everything must be as simple to cook as a burger or banger, and just as crowd-pleasing!

Hearty and satisfying, tuna steaks will make for a deliciously different BBQ! Here, we’ve paired them with a light cucumber relish that balances the rich meat perfectly. Serves 4.

With their firm, ‘meaty’ texture and rich flavour, swordfish steaks are a sure-fire BBQ hit. Serve them with the tangy salsa alongside and plenty of bread to mop up the juices. Serves 4.

Smoky barbecued aubergines and juicy cherry tomatoes are simply dressed with lemon and balsamic vinegar in this easy, tasty vegetarian salad. We’ve suggested some different cheeses to add, but feel free to experiment – for a vegan version, leave the cheese out altogether and add a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds just before serving. Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side.

Make the most of beautiful, British-grown tomatoes with this sunshine-soaked recipe! The chicken can be cooked outside on the barbecue or indoors under the grill, and (always a bonus as far as we’re concerned) the tomato element can be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated until needed. Serves 4.

Combining two staples of the Great British Summertime (sausages and barbecuing), there’s a lot to love about this recipe – not least because it’s simple, contains elements that can be made in advance, and seems to be very popular with children! Makes four servings of four chipolatas each. Note: if using wooden skewers, to avoid any risk of fire please soak them in water for at least 15 minutes before they go on the grill.

Low-fat, firm-textured and absolutely delicious, monkfish steaks are more than capable of holding their own on the grill. Add a sweet, spicy marinade and some cooling yoghurt sauce and you’ll be glad you tried something other than burgers and bangers… Makes 2 Steaks.

Treat yourself to some turbot and give your barbecue a real boost! Firm-fleshed and tasty, turbot steaks stand up well to being cooked on the grill, and here they’re paired beautifully with a simple lemon butter. Serve with your choice of salads and veg – we like to pop a couple of new potato skewers alongside the fish as it cooks. Makes 2 Steaks.

With so much going on in the taste and texture departments, you’d be forgiven for not realising that this ingenious recipe also happens to be vegan. Serve it with crisp shredded lettuce or a simple cabbage slaw and your favourite pickles – we think our quick-pickled red onions [https://www.greendale.com/blog/posts/2023/06/13/white-fish-shawarma-with-quick-onion-pickle-easy-flatbreads] are especially good. Makes 4 burgers.

A simple, summery recipe that takes moments to prepare (once you’ve factored in the marinating time). It’s especially good cooked on the barbecue, but don’t worry if the weather spoils your outdoor plans - you’ll get equally tasty results if you cook the skewers under the grill. Makes at least 4 skewers. Note: if using wooden skewers, to avoid any risk of fire please soak them in water for at least 15 minutes before using.

This recipe is quite flexible – it’ll work just as well with self-raising flour, if that’s what you have, and you can leave out the yoghurt and just use a little extra water, if preferred. You can also cook the flatbreads in a pan or over a BBQ (make sure the charcoal is up to cooking temperature first). Makes four large flatbreads.