Whether it is a simple snack outside, a barbecue or an al fresco dinner party, it will definitely put everyone into a relaxed holiday mood that is hard to beat.

Though spring is in the air and the sun is in the sky it can get quite chilly if you are not in a sheltered spot, so it is a good idea to have extra cardigans, wraps and blankets on hand for those scantily clad guests.

You may only have room for a tiny table, two chairs and a couple of flower pots outside, but it suddenly seems like one whole extra room has been created once the weather warms up. We have already enjoyed a couple of barbecues this month at home. How easy and fun it is to cook something even as simple as sausages, and serve them in rolls with chutney or ketchup and mayonnaise . . . the children love it too and it sure cuts down on the mess in the kitchen!

Summer Breeze Makes 8 glasses A jug of this served in the garden on a balmy evening before dinner will definitely make you feel like spring is in the air .

4 large strawberries, quartered 16 raspberries 50g caster sugar 250ml white rum, like Bacardi 750ml chilled dry white wine 16 ice cubes Put the strawberries and raspberries in a punch bowl or jug, add the sugar, rum and the wine and stir well. Cover and leave to stand for at least one hour .

When ready to serve , add the ice cubes and pour or ladle into glasses .

Lamb cutlets with marjoram, lemon and garlic Serves 4 8 lamb cutlets 6 cloves of crushed or grated garlic Juice of 2 lemons 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp chopped marjoram 1 bay leaf, torn a large pinch of freshly ground black pepper 2 large handfuls rocket leaves coarse sea salt 1 lemon, cut into wedges For the marinade:

To serve:

Put the lamb cutlets into a bag or bowl and add the marinade ingredients, toss and leave to marinade for at least an hour (or even overnight). Toss every so often to mix the marinade.

When ready to cook, drain the cutlets, reserving the marinade. Put the cutlets on a hot barbecue, under a hot grill, into a hot oven or on a hot grill pan and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning the meat halfway through and basting it with the marinade every few minutes.

Place the rocket on a large serving dish, or on individual plates, place the cutlets on top, sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve with lemon wedges .

Barbecued fruit parcels These are so quick and easy to make, and can be prepared in advance, just cook when you want them.

You might as well make use of the barbecue while it is lit anyway. Serve these warm poured over vanilla ice cream, or they are delicious with creme fraiche or whipped cream.

Tinfoil . . . cut/torn into rounds or squares, 20cm wide . . . 1 per person A selection of fruit, like peaches, nectarines (cut into chunks, or 1cm thick slices) strawberries (halved if large) , raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas (cut into 2cm thick slices), mangoes (cut into chunks or 1cm thick slices), apricots (quartered) .

Sugar, or honey . . . about 1 tbsp per portion Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Brandy, or Rum , , or a squeeze of lemon/lime juice (about 1 tsp) A tiny knob (1cm square approx) of butter, per portion Creme fraiche , or whipped cream, or vanilla Ice cream To serve Onto the centre of each tinfoil sheet, place a handful of fruit (enough for one person), sprinkle with sugar, or drizzle with honey; add a splash of alcohol, if using . . . about 1-2 tbsp . . . or the lemon/lime juice; and finish off with a tiny knob of butter (of course you can leave this out, but it is rather good). Then bring the sides up to the top in the centre and scrunch together to make a closed bag. Set aside until you want to cook these.

To cook Place the parcels on the barbecue (I oil the bars on the barbecue sometimes, I don't want the tinfoil to stick and tear), or a warm grill pan, and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on the heat from the coals .

Basically, the fruit should be soft and very, very juicy and hot; you can open one up to test. Give each person a tinfoil parcel on a plate, with a dollop of cream; with warnings that they will be hot.

Grilled Rosemary Flatbread Serves 4 250g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 11/2 tsp fast-acting yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 120ml hot water 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing Sift the flour into the bowl of an electric mixer and stir in the yeast, salt and rosemary. Add the hot water and olive oil, and knead with the dough hook at high speed for about eight minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the yeast, salt and rosemary. Make a well in the centre, then add the hot water and olive oil, and mix to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball, then put it in an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and divide into quarters. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured work surface to make a 15cm long oval.

Preheat the barbecue.

Brush the bread with a little olive oil and cook for five minutes over a low heat. Brush the top with the remaining olive oil, flip and cook for a further four to five minutes until the bread is cooked through.

Serve hot.

ASK RACHEL

I recently baked the seeded scones you featured on 26 March, but I'm afraid the second time they came out as flat as I had put them in , , they didn't seem to rise at all.

Was it because I addded extra seeds this time, or because I opened the oven door a few times to check?

FIONA, DUBLIN

Well, there are quite a few different reasons why your soda scones may not have risen. Firstly, you would need to have added a lot of extra seeds to the scones for them to not rise at all, so I assume that is not the problem .

What may have been the problem though, was the frequent opening of the oven; you can open the oven door to have a quick peek, if it is not a glass front, but do not leave the door open for longer than a couple of seconds; and the oven should not be opened for the first five minutes, at least, in which time the scones will not be cooked anyway, so there is no need to look.

The other reason why the scones would not have risen would be the absence of the raising agent, bread soda, so I assume you did not forget to add this in.

Another thing to think of is if you over-kneaded the raw dough: for the brown soda seeded scones you only need to bring the dough together; if you work it too much it can toughen the dough .

And lastly, the amount of liquid you add can alter the rising of the dough, if you add far too small an amount of liquid (buttermilk), then the scones will be dry and heavy, and will not rise; and if you add too much liquid the scones will rise 'out' rather than 'up', and they will remain wet and doughy. I hope you can figure out what exactly went wrong; I would recommend you try and make them again though, and hopefully next time they will be perfect!

If you have any cooking queries for Rachel, email her at food@tribune. ie