We bought a Weber kettle barbecue for Christmas but we didn't get an opportunity to try it out until this week. We have had 2 delicious barbecue meals plus much more. The first day we did the simple rump steak and a corn cob. The steak was amazingly tender. To do the corn we peeled back the husk & pulled off all the hairy bits, then tied the husks back on using an elegant knotting arrangement. Soak the cobs in cold water for 1/2 an hour or so then cook for 20 minutes in the kettle. 
Having had that success we tried a groper steak and a couple of our delicious Heather potatoes. These have a beautiful bright purple skin when you pick them but it disappears within moments of heating. I boiled it for 5 minutes or so first then roasted it in the kettle for 20 minutes. It was perfect and the fish was moist & firm. So as not to waste the heat in the barbecue we then grilled out lamb fillet for weekday salads & roasted the baby beets. This could become quite fun but it's not very appealing to be cooking out of doors in a howling northerly so our opportunities for experimentation may be somewhat curtailed this summer.
I still have a some walnuts sitting in a bowl that were given to me by a grower & we found the perfect way to use them. Beetroot & walnut hummus. Start by roasting 50g shelled walnuts at 180 for 5-7 minutes. Don't buy them shelled - they will be disgusting. Always shell them just before eating. Over a medium heat, dry fry 1 tbsp cumin seeds for about a minute & crush them in a mortar & pestle. Set aside, but not so far aside that you forget to add them to the hummus. Whizz 15g stale bread in a food processor until you have fine crumbs then add 200g cooked beetroot, 1 tbsp tahini, 1 clove crushed garlic, the juice of a lemon, 1/2 tbsp olive oil salt & pepper and don't forget the cumin. Blend to a thick paste. Taste & you might want to adjust the flavouring or add a little more oil if it is too stiff. Serve as a dip or spread. 
My other find for the week was panacotta. I have always imagined this to be really hard but was inspired when we spent a night at the White Swan in Greytown on a special deal. We stayed in the White Suite and dined in the restaurant where they served a vanilla bean panacotta. I had a go when I got home & it was really easy. Combine 100ml organic whole milk & 250ml cream in a pan with 40g caster sugar & a vanilla pod halved with the seeds scrapped into the milk. Put the whole pod in to infuse then remove it before adding the gelatine. Bring the milk just up to the boil without bubbling & turn off. Soak 2 sheets of gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes then squeeze out the excess water & stir in to the hot milk until dissolved. Leave to cool then add 150ml plain yoghurt. Pour the mix into 125ml containers such as ramekins & chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. To turn out, dip the moulds into hot water & tip out. I found I also needed to run a knife around the edges. So delicious.
We had the tahini dressed salad again with roasted Heather potatoes & it may have been even better this time. Do try it especially if you have a glut of courgettes to get through. We included scallopini which I love, not least for the lovely colour they bring to the salad. 
