- LOUISE'S VEGETABLEKEBABS WITH SATAY SAUCE

These are a brilliant idea for parties of any sort. For a buffet meal you can grill them on small skewers in relays, or for a dinner-party on long ones all at once. They take only 10-1 2 minutes to cook, most of the work has to be done in advance, which leaves plenty of time for other preparations, and the kebabs look festive and colourful, particularly if you succeed in finding a yellow courgette. The cost is also very reasonable, the only relatively expensive item (apartfrom peanut butterforthe sauce) being cherry tomatoes- but you do not need many. The recipe is 'long because of the sauce and marinade: in fact, however, it is easy and, in terms of working time, quick.

1 have not suggested cherry tomatoes elsewhere in this book because they really are rather expensive. They are tiny, as the name implies, and at present the only sort which are fairly certain to have flavour. Here they are needed both for flavour and size; most large supermarkets sell them, but if you cannot obtain any, use the smallest ordinary ones you can find. A yellow courgette (which is simply a variety of the green) looks attractive but is not essential. Try to match the diameter ofthe mushroom caps with the width of the courgettes.

Set the vegetables to marinate about 8 hours before you wish to grill them. The sauce can also be prepared in advance: if convenient, make it at the same time as the marinade. Allow 30 minutes-I hour for the courgettes to sweat.

Serve with rice and thick yoghurt. Enough for 10-12 long skewers or about 30 short ones.

- INGREDIENTS-

1 Ib/500 g courgettes (3 or 4 including 1 yellow one) Salt

1 large green pepper

3 medium onions

8 oz/250 g cherry tomatoes