Part 3/3 Great ways to present party food at BBQs

Today concludes the three part series on garden BBQs. To recap, click here for Part 1 Bring out the BBQ and Part 2 Party Organising

As well as the usual burgers and sausages at BBQS, I love to pick lots of freshly grown salad and vegetables from my garden and make attractive garnishes and snacks. They are great party food and lovely for picnics and lunch boxes.

I also have a load of homemade pies in a variety of flavours, such as cheese, leek and onion; meat and veggie options. They are great for a hot supper to bring outdoors on plates with a spoon and easy to eat. You can also freeze any not eaten and they are a good back up if you have more guests than expected! They are quick and easy to make. I just make a large amount of short crust pastry and roll it all out and cover the the pie dish, add the filling and cover with a pastry topping.Bake for 30 minutes.

Homemade Pies

Cucumber Chains

Cucumber Chains are easy to make and are great to decorate the perimter of plates with sandwiches or circle salads or decorate cold cucumber soup.

Cut a 4 inch cylinder from a large cucumber

cucumber

Slice the cucumber and then with a circle cutter, core out the centre.

Cut a slit into everyo ther ring.

cucumber slices

Link up the chain.

cucumber chain

Cucumber / Carrot Twigs

Cut a section of cucmber, about 2 inches long and slice off one side as shown. This piece should be about a quarter of an inch thick.

With this smaller piece cut a centre section of about half an inch wide by the 2 inches length.

Cut the piece of cucumber from either end leaving about a quarter of an inch, so that you do not cut all the way through.

Twist the two outer pieces so they cross over.

cucumber twigs. The same can be produced with carrots

Cucumber Cups

These are easy to make in large quantities and can be filled with cheese, mayonaise, pate, branston pickle etc.

Cut cucumbers into 2 inch lengths and scoop out the centre and fill.

Cucumber cup with cheese

Cucumber / Carrot Dippers

These are great served with dips. You can use carrots or cucumbers.

Cut a 3 inch section and insert a knife through the centre. The blade should be about 1 inch wide.

Do the same with another knife all the way to the first knife.

The two halves can then be separated.

cucumber dippers

Egg Faces

Take a hard boiled egg and scoop out a mouth. Make small slits to insert two currants for eyes and with a cocktail stick cut two pieces of carrot to make a hat.

Egg Heads

Orange Loops

Take orange slices cut in halves

orange slices

Cut between the skin and the orange to separate the skin and cut almost to the end, leaving about 1 inch connected. Curl the skin under to create orange loops. Use to decorate the rim of bowls, fruit salads, cocktail glasses or have as a refreshing snack, served cold.

orange loops

Raddish Toadstools

I carve out raddishes into baby toadstools. You can do this with carrots too.

Raddish Toadstools

Carrot and Raddish Jacks

You can make hundreds of these. They are quick and easy to make. Slice raddishes and carrots and cut a slit into one to slide another slice into the other. Once the two slices are connected, you have a carrot or raddish jack.

Raddish Jacks

Tomato Flowers

Take a tomato and gently make 3 slits into the top. They should barely pierce the skin. Cut to make a star shape as shown.

Tomato cuts

The petals can then be peeled back to form the flower.

Tomato Flower

Have fun this summer!