Al fresco: the best recipes for dining in your garden The deepest pleasure of all of our messing around in the soil comes now: these days of glorious summer, when the edible rewards are many and gardening seems easy. The French beans are overtaking the broad beans, the tomatoes and courgettes are at least thinking of ripening and there are leaves, herbs and berries aplenty. It's a great time to be eating - and even cooking - outside, and the secret to doing this often is to make life easy for yourself. Have a few adaptable recipes where much of the preparation can be done ahead and which can be cooked in the kitchen or outside, as the mood takes you. And don't hesitate to use bought ingredients if time is tight - the most important thing is to be out there eating, not gardening. It doesn't take much to make an outside kitchen - a barbecue, hot smoker, fire pit and pizza oven are all options and each can be home-made. I've dug a hole in the ground and lined it with bricks to make a fire pit - it works as a barbecue, or I hang a pot over it for stews or soups. Hot smokers cook the food as well impart a smokiness - they are inexpensive and easy to make. Wood ovens are a bit of an investment but they are great value - pizzas cook in around a minute, bread cooks beautifully and, as the temperature dips, you can leave shoulders of lamb or pork to cook slowly. They are easy to make for yourself using sand and clay, but be prepared to rebuild them from time to time. Here are a few of my favourite recipes for outdoor eating, each adaptable to whatever is growing well for you: all are simple, delicious and easy to share - the perfect requirements for a hassle-free afternoon in the garden with loved ones. For further information Wood ovens (Wood Ovens) Hot smokers (Hotsmoked) The Build and Bake one-day course at River Cottage teaches you how to build a clay oven and bake your own bread in it For more on home smoking, see Tim Hayward's book Food DIY (£25, Fig Tree).