Every Sunday the cruisers in the Monastir Marina gather for a BBQ. You bring what you’d like to grill and a side dish to share. This means I hit up the Monastir market Sunday morning to see what’s available.

Everything is local – you have your choice of seafood (I particularly like the shrimp and tuna), chicken, beef or lamb (the merguez sausage is quite nice). No pork products are available here, it’s a Muslim country.

I get back to the boat and prep the protein, and then figure out a side dish – some days it’s a salad and other times it’s dessert. Again, you shop at the local market, so everything is local and seasonal – it’s been a good test of how to use product that I’m not familiar with, or are out of practice with. So far my favorites have been an herbed farro with preserved lemon, and ‘Tunisian snickers bars’ (I stuff dates with peanut butter and chocolate).

A few of the cruisers arrive early to get the bbq going and set up tables and chairs.

We pass the hat and collect 1 dinar (30 cents) per person to pay for charcoal.

And then we feast. And drink. And talk.

And then the cats turn up. They know where there are bound to be good leftovers….