Three easy sides for your BBQ!

Arugula and Walnut Pesto Crostini
Pesto on toasted bread is always a great app at a BBQ! You can even toast the bread on the grill – just brush the slices with olive oil and place on a hot grill for about a minute.

Makes 20 crostini
1/2 lb arugula
3 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 baguette (or other bread), toasted

In a large bowl, mix the arugula with chopped walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Process in two batches in a food processor, adding olive oil until the pesto is the right consistency (thick enough to spread). Smear onto hot crunchy slices of toasted bread.

Recipe from Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook of Sorts

Grated Cucumber Salad with Oregano

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
salt
1 tbsp fresh oregano (chopped), or 1 tsp dried oregano
a handful of pitted cured black olives

Wrap the grated cucumber in a kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Combine the sugar, lemon juice and salt in a serving dish. Add the cucumber and oregano and toss. Mix well with two forks, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Decorate with olives just before serving.

Recipe from Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco

Make this one in advance, as the beets take a couple hours to slow-roast, caramelizing their natural sweetness.

1 lb beets (3 or 4 medium-sized beets)

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

large pinch of cinnamon

1 tbsp chopped parsley

salt

Trim beets, cutting off the tops. Toss them with the salt and tightly wrap them (with the salt) in foil or parchment paper. Roast in a shallow baking dish for 2 hours. To check for tenderness, open one end of the packet and test a beet with the tip of a knife to see if the flesh has softened. Let the beets cool.

Peel the beets, cut into bite-sized pieces, and put in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients, pout over the beets, and let marinate for 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe from Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco