This mixture of steamed and sauteed vegetables awash with the colourful sauce is a popular tapas in northern Spain. Choose a good Arbequina extra virgin olive oil from Navarra or Tarragona for the sauce. Serve with toothpicks for the vegetables and plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Method:
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
75ml Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 tablespoon French mustard
3 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar
4 medium potatoes, boiled until tender and diced
4 carrots, boiled until tender and diced
175g green beans, cooked al dente
1 pickled jalapeno chilli pepper, sliced
salt and pepper

Method:
Gently fry the onion and garlic in a small amount of oil until softened and lightly browned in places. Remove and place in a bowl. Quickly fry the yellow pepper until crisp tender and add to the onion.
Mix the mustard with the vinegar and then whisk in the remaining oil ad add to the cooked vegetables.
Add the remaining vegetables, the japapeno chilli pepper and seasoning and toss well together. Serve immediately.

RED HOT POKERS

This is the ultimate summer barbecue dish! It comes from New Zealand where they make their own tomato sauce rather than pouring it out of a bottle. This one will last for some time in the fridge so make a large quantity and keep for a while.

3kg ripe tomatoes
500g onions
I head of garlic, peeled and chopped
15g whole cloves
25g ground ginger
cayenne pepper
cracked black pepper
500g sugar
350ml vinegar
salt
plenty of lamb cut into chunks
New Zealand extra virgin olive oil

To make the sauce, boil the tomatoes, onions, garlic, cloves, ginger and peppers very slowly for two hours. Add the sugar and vinegar and boil again until the sauce is a thick creamy consistency. Add salt to taste and bottle and seal immediately.

Arrange the lamb on skewers and season lightly. Place on the barbecue grill and cook until tender. Pour the sauce onto a large serving plate. Roll the cooked skewer in the sauce to coat it all over. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at once.

AUBERGINE PILAF IN OLIVE OIL

This very unusual recipe comes from Jordan and there is now a good Jordanian extra virgin olive oil on the UK market. If you cannot find it look for a fairly delicate oil, maybe from Lebanon, Israel or Palestine. The dish is great served on a summer barbecue buffet.

Ingredients:
1 medium aubergine, cubed
2 cups long grain rice
Water
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 large ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh dill, chopped

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the eggplant cubes, stirring frequently, until tender and golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Add the onions and pine nuts to the same pan and fry gently for five minutes. Next add the rice and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes longer. Now add all the remaining ingredients together with the reserved aubergines and three cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for three minutes. Reduce the heat and cook until all the water has been absorbed. Stir in the dill. Remove from the heat and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm place and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Stir and leave to cool. Serve cold.