Vegetarian summer menus

Vegetarian barbecue recipes

Barbecues are the basil to the tomato of sunny summer days - the perfect complement. Make sure yours goes with a bang by getting the balance right and following BBC Food's barbecue basics.

Rule one: the barbecue cannot be hurried, as grill aficionados know only too well. Have a selection of light nibbles standing by to keep guests' appetites ticking over in case your fire-starter miscalculates. Cut the Pea and mint frittata into bite-sized cubes and serve crisp breadsticks and crudités to mop up dips such as hummus. Plan side dishes that can be chilled in the fridge until needed, such as potato salad - mix boiled, cooled, chopped new potatoes with crème fraîche, then stir in chopped spring onions, chopped dill or wholegrain mustard.

Rule two: man cannot live by grill alone. Serve a variety of fresh side dishes alongside the chargrilled offerings to provide a combination of flavours and textures. Dishes such as Courgette salad with pine nuts, chillies and parmesan will ensure that guests aren't bamboozled by the barbecue.

Rule three: you can have too much of a good thing. For dessert, give guests the choice between flamed fruit and something more subtle. Watermelon ice lollies or Pistachio ice cream will keep until another occasion if guests go ga-ga for the grill. Similarly, you could buy the Eton mess ingredients as a back-up and assemble the dessert only if needed.

Starters

• Pea and mint frittata by Ben O'Donoghue from The Best
• Marinated goats' cheese in vine leaf parcels by Ainsley Harriott from Barbecue Bible
• Grilled lettuce with goats' cheese by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• Puréed aubergine and garlic dip by David Laris from Saturday Kitchen

Main courses

• Coal-cooked rosemary and vegetable nests from The Vegetarian Society
• Fire-roasted Mediterranean vegetables by Ainsley Harriott from Barbecue Bible
• Aubergine fold and feta rolls by Ainsley Harriott from Barbecue Bible
• Oriental mixed vegetable parcels by Ainsley Harriott from Barbecue Bible
• Oriental vegetable kebabs with peanut dressing from The Vegetarian Society
• Mediterranean pasta salad by James Martin from Housecall
• Barbecued sweet potatoes by Neneh Cherry and Andi Oliver from Neneh and Andi: Dish It Up
• Grilled aubergine salad by Sam and Sam Clark from Casa Moro

Side dishes

• Courgette salad with pine nuts, chillies and parmesan-style cheese by James Martin from Housecall
• Summer vegetable salad by Neil Perry from Saturday Kitchen
• Broad bean and flamed pepper salad from The Vegetarian Society
• Damper beer bread by Ainsley Harriott from Barbecue Bible

Desserts

• Sydney flambeed fruits with maple syrup and lightning Champagne cocktail by Ainsley Harriott
• Caramelised pineapple and mango by James Martin from Housecall
• Eton mess by Sue Fox from This Little Farmer
• Pistachio ice cream by Thandie Newton from Taste of My Life
• Watermelon ice lollies by Simon Rimmer from Something for the Weekend
• Strawberry Hill pineapple with rum butter glaze by Ainsley Harriott
• Barbecued fruits by Rick Stein from Fresh Food
• Honey nut baked fresh figs by Ainsley Harriott

Fruity veggie dishes

English hedgerows, gardens and orchards are all bursting with juicy, ripe fruit at this time of year. Use your hand-picked harvest to pep up both sweet and savoury dishes.

Fresh herbs, bitter leaves and sharp cheeses such as feta balance the sweetness of fruit in savoury dishes. Try mixing grape halves or slices of strawberry and kiwi into a salad of mesclun leaves, lovage, cherry tomatoes and mild goats' cheese. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil for a simple vinaigrette or, if you're sweet-toothed, mix a little clear honey with oil and cider vinegar. If you're making the salads for a picnic, pack the vinaigrette separately and dress the salads just before serving.

For a light snack, try a cooling Gazpacho sorbet or fresh Tomato, watermelon and feta salad. Alternatively, whip up plump, golden-brown slices of eggy bread and serve with fresh blueberries, raspberries or slices of banana and a dash of maple syrup. Or walk on the wild side and make a vegetarian pizza base, adding slices of banana, Brazilian-style, before cooking.

When it comes to dessert, fruit lovers come into their own. Push the boat out with Bryn Williams' strawberry extravaganza, or keep it simple with a banana split, a Strawberry and white chocolate sundae, or refreshing watermelon wedges. For a picnic-friendly end to the meal, slices of moist Cherry clafoutis will travel well and need no accompaniment.

Savoury fruit dishes

• Melon curls with lemon wedges by James Martin from Housecall
• Gazpacho sorbet by Eric Chavot
• Chilled tomato and avocado soup from British Tomato Growers' Association
• Goats' cheese with chicory orange jam by James Martin from Saturday Kitchen
• Tomato, watermelon and feta salad by Jill Dupleix from Saturday Kitchen
• Halloumi and mango with a minty dressing from The Vegetarian Society
• Tomato tarte tatin with goats' cheese and rocket cream by Sue Patterson from Masterchef
• Oven-roasted tomatoes with mozzarella and 'preserved lemon' and chilli dressing by Simon Rimmer from Something for the Weekend
• Heirloom tomato salad with mint or basil by Simon Rimmer from Something for the Weekend
• Crushed tomato salad from Vegan Society

Sweet fruit dishes

• Baked peaches with crushed amaretti by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi from Return to Tuscany
• Roasted peaches by James Martin from Housecall
• Spiced poached peaches with star anise yoghurt by Anjum Anand from Indian Food Made Easy
• Peach Melba turnovers by Simon Rimmer from Something for the Weekend
• Fresh strawberry and white chocolate sundae by Antony Worrall Thompson from Saturday Kitchen
• Heather honey parfait with gooseberries, elderflowers and raspberries by Tom Kitchin from Great British Menu
• Raspberry zabaglione by Antony Worrall Thompson from Saturday Kitchen
• Strawberry mascarpone tart by Nigel Slater from Taste of My Life
• Iced strawberry mousse, poached strawberries and strawberry jam doughnuts by Bryn Williams from Great British Menu
• Lavender meringue ice cream by Jekka McVicar from Veg Talk
• Strawberry and cream millefeuille from Good Food Magazine
• Cherry clafoutis by Andrew Fairlie from Saturday Kitchen

Cheese dishes for vegetarians

Whether it's combined with juicy fruit, thrown into thirst-quenching salads, or oozing out of Mediterranean-style bread and pastries, cheese is the perfect contrast to fragrant summer flavours.

Make the most of cheese with fresh seasonal produce. Melt goats' cheese under a hot grill, sprinkle with walnuts, drizzle over honey and serve on a bed of lettuce with plenty of crusty French bread. Serve feta and chopped mint between chargrilled aubergine slices for a sandwich with a twist. Make Merrilees Parker's Quick tomato and basil tart and sprinkle over crumbled feta. Or whisk soft cheese such as ricotta into a traditional French vinaigrette of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add a hint of wholegrain mustard and drizzle over tomato slices.

If you prefer cheese as a dessert, broaden your horizons further than the cheese plate. Try tangy lime and passion fruit cheesecake, Gino D'Acampo's light Ricottella, or make your own Nougat ice cream with mascarpone and serve on ready-made hot waffles drizzled with syrup. For a dessert to draw out over a balmy evening meal, sprinkle vanilla sugar over peach halves and grill until caramelised, then serve dotted with sweetened mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.

Savoury cheese plates

• Grilled goats' cheese with a salad of fresh peas, asparagus and broad beans by Antony Worrall Thompson from Food and Drink
• Mediterranean couscous salad from Good Food Magazine
• Grilled mozzarella and tomato salad by James Martin from Castle in the Country
• Tomato and basil croquettes with oozing mozzarella and rocket pesto vinaigrette by Tony Tobin from Saturday Kitchen
• Tomato and goats' cheese galette with spinach by Ed Baines from Saturday Kitchen
• Chargrilled vegetables and Aragon olives with Montenebro by James Martin from Saturday Kitchen
• Vegetarian plait by Elizabeth Guy from Countryfile Summer Diaries
• Goats' cheese toastie with aubergines, peppers and courgettes by Michael Caines from Countryfile Summer Diaries
• Halloumi cheese, lemon, olive oil by David Laris from Saturday Kitchen
• Feta, olive and sun-dried tomato scones by Delia Smith from Delia Smith
• Cherry tomato, marinated feta and basil skewers by Merrilees Parker from Saturday Kitchen
• Quick tomato and basil tart by Merrilees Parker from Housecall
• Pan-fried feta by Theodore Kyriakou
• Onion, Roquefort and tomato tart by Nick Nairn from Ready Steady Cook
• Oven-roasted tomatoes with feta by Rick Stein from Fresh Food

Sweet cheese plates

• Ricotta with honey and figs by James Martin from Ready Steady Cook
• Baked lime cheesecake by Lesley Waters - video recipe (a text only version is also available)
• Pear cheesecake by Max Kent from Masterchef
• Strawberry cheesecake tart from Good Food Magazine
• Nougat ice cream from Good Food Magazine
• Caramelised peach melba with raspberry coulis by Sophie Grigson - video recipe (a text only version is also available)
• Honeyed ricotta with summer berries by James Martin from Housecall
• Ricottella by Gino D'Acampo from Saturday Kitchen