From his rural home overlooking the sea, River Cottage’s Gill Meller is perfectly placed to write about open-air cooking, whether it's a simple campfire on the beach or a barbecue in the garden. Here he shares four unique recipes that celebrate the simple joy of eating outdoors
Campfire Tomatoes on Toast
Serves: 2
Prepare: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
600g ripe tomatoes, whole, or halved if large 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 2–3 rosemary sprigs 2–3 marjoram sprigs 2 thick slices of sourdough bread Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare your fire and when the flames have died back and you have a nice, even bed of hot embers, set a grill in place. Push one or two slices of garlic into each halved tomato. Poke a little slit in the smaller whole tomatoes with the point of a knife and insert a sliver of garlic into these, too. Trickle the tomatoes all over with the extra-virgin olive oil and season them well with salt and pepper.
2. Place the tomatoes on the hot grill. Tear over the herbs and cook, turning the tomatoes once or twice, until they are charred and soft. Lay the bread on the grill next to the tomatoes and toast it for a minute or so on each side, until it’s crunchy and golden.
3. To serve, place the toast on the plates, trickle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Pile the tomatoes up onto the toasts and serve at once.
Flat Breads with Chilli & Fennel Sausage, Burrata & Herbs
Makes: 2
Prepare: 20 minutes, plus rising time
Cook: 15 minutes
250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling ½ tsp quick yeast 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for trickling
For the topping:
6 pork sausages (about 500g) 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1–2 tsps fennel seeds, crushed 1–2 tsps chilli flakes, plus extra for sprinkling 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 burrata Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper A handful fennel tops or young basil leaves, chopped, to serve
1. To make the flat breads, place the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl and add 150ml of water and the extra-virgin olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly until it forms a dough. Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes, until soft and smooth. Shape the dough into a rough round and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave the dough torise in a warm place. You can make the dough the day before you need it and put it in the fridge.
2. Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface, then cut it
