Welcome to August

Our number one tip for elevating your barbecue

THRILL of the grill

Enhance your barbecue with our very own spice blend, created for the perfect balance of smokiness and earthy depth. Subscribers receive a free sachet with this issue, or you can turn the page to discover how to make your own – try it with meat, slaw and more. Plus, discover a range of barbecue recipes from around the world

BBQ-spiced spatchcock chicken

Cooking the chicken whole ensures it stays juicy

Slow-cooked BBQ-spiced pulled pork

On rainy days, you can still enjoy smoky

BBQ spice butter

DON’T FORGET THE SIDES Liven up corn-on-the-cob, green

Creamy red cabbage & lime slaw

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus 1 hr

The boerie roll

This is a Southern African version of a meaty beef hot dog. It has a coarse texture that almost makes it feel like a burger, but instead it’s a sausage. My version is packed with savoury umami, with a balance of sweet smokiness and spicy notes.

Afghan chicken skewer kabob

The chicken kabob is deeply sentimental for me, as it was one of the first barbecue dishes my mother taught me to make. It needs a lot of prep, so I’d get the chance to spend quality time with my family.

Afghan chutney

SERVES 4 as a dip PREP 15 mins

Garlic yogurt

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Mursal opened Cue Point

Smoked lamb shoulder with salsa criolla

This is my favourite way of cooking lamb shoulder. My go-to lamb is Eryri mountain lamb (Cymru represent!) for unreal depth of flavour. Just perfect with a kiss of fire and smoke.

Courgette green bean & feta salad

I adore grilled veg salads, where you can layer up flavours and textures.(You can marinate the veg and feta and mix your hazelnut crumbs 24 hours ahead.) A perforated grilling tray is a useful bit of kit when it comes to cooking smaller pieces of veg, because they have no chance of falling through the grill bars. If you don’t have one, rest perpendicular to the grill bars and turn slightly more carefully – it also helps to grill the veg in batches.

Sardine kushiyaki with oroshi daikon ponzu sauce

Japan’s most famous skewers are yakitori (grilled chicken), but skewers in general are kushiyaki, which means ‘grilled skewers’. My son likes to go fishing in Cornwall, and we always come back with plenty of mackerel and sardines – delicious grilled simply to get a crispy skin, then dressed in ponzu sauce, which has saltiness and the fresh acidity of citrus to counter the natural oils of the fish. Daikon is often eaten with oily fish to aid digestion. (When finely grated, it helps thickens the ponzu.) Serve with a zingy tomato salad.

What’s your best local UK ingredient?

We ask chefs and producers for their top delicacies from around the nation

Maman's recipes eased my homesickness

Hami Sharafi left Iran to chase big dreams abroad, but discovered his true calling was closer to home

Ayo Adeyemi’s jollof rice

The executive chef of London restaurant Akoko shares the recipe for a staple of his Nigerian heritage

A beer festival in your garden

Keep cool with brews that offer light refreshment for sipping in the sunshine

What you’re sharing

Share photos of what you’ve cooked using our

Try five issues of BBC goodfood magazine for just £5

£1 an issue – usually £5.99 Take advantage

BBC good food coming next month

on sale 24 August

No-bake cheesecake

For a sweet and salty taste sensation, a mix of peanuts and bananas works a treat, plus you can make this ahead for a get-together

fast and fresh

COOK SMART

Peach, mozzarella & chicken panzanella

£4.29 per serving Peach, mozzarella & chicken panzanella,

Smoky chickpea salad

£1.29 per serving As well as layers of

Courgette, chilli & mint with pearl couscous

Seasonal courgettes and couscous require minimal prep to make a simple, weeknight supper.

Olive chimichurri steak with padron peppers

If you’re craving something meaty and spicy, but you want to keep it light, this is the meal for you.

love your leftovers

Quick ideas that use what’s left from our midweek meals

Max La Manna’s punchy salad

The low-waste champion combines charred aubergine with spices and zesty lime for a taste explosion

Abergavenny Food Festival

Each month, we shine a spotlight on a British foodie event featured on BBC Two’s Coast to Coast Food Festival. This month, we head to Monmouthshire

TV & RADIO PICKS

Celebrity MasterChef, BBC One Watch as 20 more

Summer holidays calling!

School’s out, so keep the kids entertained with ideas for sunny picnics, rainy day projects and foodie books

Baked feta & tomato pasta

SERVES 3 PREP 5 mins COOK 30 mins

Air-fryer veggie spring rolls

SERVES 3 PREP 5 mins plus cooling COOK

Kids’ lunch skewers

Make midday a bit more fun with these colourful snacks

Easy speculoos cake

SERVES 12 PREP 20 mins plus cooling COOK

Get outdoors

When the sun is shining, don’t miss the chance to get outside and enjoy a foodie adventure.

Give it a twist

PB&J split Top the banana with caramel ice

Classic banana split

Shoot director EMMA WINCHESTER | Food stylist HELEN

Blackcurrant cheesecake

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins plus 2-3 hrs

Rainy day activities

Cooking can pass the time when the weather doesn’t cooperate, as well as these other food-themed ideas.

Read a book

A trip to the library or bookshop can spark a child’s enthusiasm for cooking, and some books offer much more than just recipes. These are some of our favourite children’s books:

health news

Find out how to boost your hydration and keep cool this summer, plus try a fresh vegan salad recipe

10 best foods to help you stay hydrated

During hot weather, we can all struggle to

3 ways to stay cool in the heat

A few simple changes can make a big difference when it’s hot.

Ricotta, tomato & spinach frittata

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins

Ultimate tomato salsa

Ultimate tomato salsa SERVES 2 PREP 5 mins

Lentil & tomato salad

SERVES 4-6 PREP 5 mins COOK 20 mins

Poached eggs with smashed avocado & tomatoes

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins

5 health benefits of tomatoes

1 An 80g serving of tomatoes provides about

better batter

Lighten up this seaside favourite using gram flour and a pan instead of a deep-fat fryer

energise your life

GP and recipe writer Dr Chintal Patel highlights five ways to increase your vitality and shares a recipe using chickpeas for slow-release energy

Chole with cumin rice & raita

As well as being quick to cook, high-fibre chickpeas keep energy levels steady and aid digestion.

Sow, grow, glow: the highs of summer

Bring sunshine to your plate using fresh peppers, soft fruit and aubergines, all coming to their peak. Plus, discover how to care for your own crop with advice from Charles Dowding of BBC Gardener’s World

How to use up everything!

Discover how to waste less, and make your food shop go further

Waste-nothing pizza

If you have rosemary to use up, let it shine in this simple recipe for sharing with friends or family

Your versatile veg drawer

Be inspired to cook with stalks, peelings and leaves

Sensational salad dressings

Jazz up summer salads with leftover ingredients and storecupboard essentials

Fire up the air-fryer

Take your cooking to new heights with recipes using the nation’s favourite gadget

Storecupboard heroes: sweetcorn

Nutritious, affordable and versatile, this canned veg brings subtle sweetness to your cooking

WEEKEND

Source sustainable fish for your next barbecue, evoke that festival feeling with grab-and-go treats, and make Angela Hartnett’s relaxed Sunday menu

SMOKY MACKEREL

Tom shares a barbecue recipe using fish caught in British waters by sustainable means

Barbecued mackerel with tomato & olive dressing

Removing the skin from the tomatoes here might

LET’S BAKE!

Fill your cake tin and always be ready for guests with these crowd-pleasing recipes from food writer Liberty Mendez

Roasted pineapple & passion fruit cake

We all need a bit of sunshine in

Mocha chocolate chip cookies

These cookies taste like a coffee cake, but

ROASTING SUMMER

Angela Hartnett gives roast pork a seasonal overhaul and rounds off the menu with a simple to make French pastry

Roasted pork belly

This recipe is inspired by Valentine Warner, a

Apple tart

This is a French classic using a really

CLASSIC CLANGER

In this heritage bake, the flavours of sweet jam and savoury sausage come together in a neat pastry roll

FESTIVAL OF FOOD

Recreate the festival vibe at home with these recipes from street-food specialists who’ve made their mark at the biggest events of the summer

Coffee-rubbed lamb neck with burnt spring onion mayo

Coffee-rubbed lamb neck with burnt spring onion mayo,

Strawberries & cream cookie sandwiches

Blondies Kitchen is the one-stop shop for all

Stay in one of Rick Stein’s luxury shepherd’s huts near Padstow

For stays until 31 October

Perfect pairings for duck

Make the most of the rich and robust flavours of this meat with our expertly picked wines – including a spicy white

Grow your own

Harvest fruit you’ve grown yourself and make great savings, even if you don’t have a garden

Experience the Pyrenees in France and Spain

Journey through the Pyrenees mountains by train on

Artisan SUMMER CHEESES

Our partner cheesegeek and expert Ned Palmer have carefully curated this selection for sharing outdoors

cooking skills

Get confident in the kitchen with tips and advice from the Good Food team

Simple stew

Make the most of Mediterranean flavours in this one-pan chicken dinner

NEXT LEVEL Gazpacho

Make the very finest version of this cooling Spanish soup for refreshment on a hot day

Turkish pide

Chef Selin Kiazim guides us through a modern take on this popular street food using three types of cheese

A Splash of Soy by Lara Lee

Editor Keith Kendrick discovers a world of versatility with a condiment that most of us have in the back of the cupboard

Charcoal barbecues

This hefty piece of kit can hit searing temperatures or retain a gentle heat with finite precision

Frozen pineapple margarita

When the weather suits, blitz up a tropical cocktail