Grilled Watermelon Wedges with Balsamic Reduction

Here's one last recipe from my Blooming Glen Farm demo last week--and this one is probably the most unusual of the ones I made that day.  But it was also the one that was completely scarfed up by samplers.

I love grilling fruit.  I think it really brings out flavors that you might miss from the raw fruit.  Watermelon is no exception.  You just have to make sure that you don't grill it for too long or it will get pretty mushy.  (If you missed it, click here for a grilled cantaloupe and peach recipe from my demo in July.)

This dish has that sweet and salty thing going on, which I love.  And I think you'll love it, too!  It will be the talk of your picnic.

GRILLED WATERMELON WEDGES WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION
Serves 4-6

You can cut up the watermelon to serve as a salad if you wish.  I like serving it in wedges as an interesting finger food.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 lb watermelon, preferably seedless
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup feta cheese (or goat cheese)
Pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

• In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a simmer over med-high heat.  Cook until reduced to a thick syrup.  Set aside.
• Preheat grill to high.
• Cut watermelon into half-moon slices.  Brush both sides of melon with oil.
• Clean and oil the grill grates.  Grill watermelon about 2 min per side or until grill marks appear.  Transfer to a plate and season with salt.  When cool, cut into smaller wedges.
• Place wedges on a platter.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction and sprinkle with crumbled cheese.  Finish with pepper and a little extra-virgin olive oil if you wish.

Smoky Potato Salad

Here's another tasty dish from my demo at Blooming Glen Farm.

Potato salads are always a favorite at picnics and this one is a winner.  It's got a light, but flavorful dressing and the great taste of the grill.  Best of all, no par-cooking the potatoes needed in this recipe.  Cook them all the way on the grill--just as long as you use the right size.

Give it a try!

SMOKY POTATO SALAD (adapted from Cook's Country magazine)
Serves 8

I went a little easy on the chipotle at the farm just in case some folks didn't like much spice.  But feel free to add as much or as little as you like.  Remember that chipotle chiles are smoked jalapenos, so they'll not only add heat, but a smoky flavor.

INGREDIENTS
6 slices bacon, chopped
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
3 pounds red potatoes, small (about 2"), unpeeled and halved
1 large onion, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
4 scallions, thinly sliced

• Preheat grill to high.
• Cook bacon in a 12" skillet over medium heat until crisp, 7-9 min; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Reserve 2 Tbsp bacon fat.
• Whisk vinegar, mayo, chipotle, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in 3 Tbsp oil until combined.  Set aside.
• Clean and oil the grill grate.  Turn heat down to medium.
• Toss the potatoes with the reserved bacon fat and 1/2 tsp salt.  Brush onion rounds with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place potatoes, cut side down, and onions on grill and cook, covered, until charred on first side, about 10-14 min.
• Flip potatoes and onions and continue cooking, covered, until well browned and potatoes are tender, another 10-16 min.  Transfer all to a rimmed baking sheet to cool slightly.
• Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and coarsely chop the onions.  Add potato, onion, scallion and bacon to the dressing and toss.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.er to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Cantaloupe

I love grilled fruit.  Grilled pineapple with a little cayenne and brown sugar is great.  Have you ever grilled peaches?  Try using a recipe I posted a while ago for Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Honey.

The final recipe I made at Blooming Glen Farm a couple weeks ago used their delicious sweet cantaloupes.  I grilled cantaloupe wedges basting with a sweet glaze, then cut the melon into chunks.  You could very easily cut it into chunks before grilling and slide onto skewers for a nice serving presentation.  Get fancy if you want and garnish it with some minced mint.

However you do it, it's a tasty way to end a meal--especially served with a little ice cream! 

GRILLED CANTALOUPE WITH HONEY-CINNAMON GLAZE
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 cantaloupe, seeded and cut into wedges
1/3 cup honey
1/4 butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

• Preheat grill to high.
• Combine honey, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Heat on grill until butter melts and all are combined.  Brush cantaloupe with glaze.
• Place melon on grill and cook until starting to soften, about 1-2 min per side, basting with more glaze as needed.
• Remove from grill and let cool slightly.  Remove flesh from rind, cut into chunks to serve.  Drizzle with remaining glaze.

Dude! What is on this Corn?

Corn on the cob--yet another great flavor of the summer.  Usually, I don't like to cover up the flavor too much if it's good corn.  Just a little butter, salt and pepper.  But once in a while, you have to make an exception.

This recipe is a take on a street food popular in Mexico.  It's grilled corn doused in a creamy, cheesy coating with just a little spice.  As Tom Murtha of Blooming Glen Farm said when he tasted it, "Dude!  What is on this Corn?".  Well, I'll tell you....

MEXICAN-STYLE GRILLED CORN (from Cook's Illustrated)
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp sour cream
3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
4 tsp lime juice
1 oz Pecorino Romano, queso fresco or Cotija cheese (about 1/2 cup)
4 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt or 1/4 tsp table salt
6 large ears of corn, husked and silk removed

• Preheat grill to high.
• While grill is heating, combine mayo, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, 1/4 tsp chili powder, pepper, cayenne, lime juice and cheese in a large bowl; set aside.  In a second bowl, combine oil, salt, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder; add corn and toss until coated.
• Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 7-12 min total.
• Remove from grill and place in bowl with mayo mixture; toss to coat evenly.

Grilled New Potatoes

I must admit, I've never been a huge potato fan.  I like them, but could do without them for the most part.  However, fresh new potatoes, like we get from Blooming Glen Farm, are a whole different story.  They're tender and creamy and so flavorful. 

Here's a recipe that I made last week at my farm demo.  The aioli is light and fresh tasting and makes a great accompaniment to the potatoes--as well as a spread for a sandwich or dipping veggies or...all sort of stuff.

GRILLED NEW POTATOES WITH LEMON-GARLIC AIOLI AND PARSLEY (from Bobby Flay on foodtv.com)
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
3 lb new potatoes, small
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

• Put potatoes in Dutch oven or large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, season with salt and cook until almost tender, about 15 min.  Drain and, when cool enough, cut in half.
• Preheat grill to medium.
• Combine mayo, garlic, lemon juice and zest in a blender and blend until smooth.  (You can do this in a bowl with an immersion blender if you wish.)  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
• Brush potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill, cut side down, until golden brown and just cooked through.  Remove to a platter.  Drizzle with aioli and sprinkle with parsley.

Smart Cook-out

Well, the weather's heating up and that means that many of us will be having periodic cook-outs with friends and family.  It's one of the joys of this time of the year.

Unfortunately, some people tend to let basic food safety rules fly out the window when they move

from cooking in the kitchen to cooking outside.  That's too bad, because no one wants their guests or themselves to get sick from their cook-out.

So let's take a quick look at some basic, but very important, tips for making your cook-out a safe time for everyone.

• The first thing you should always do--no matter where you're cooking--is to make sure your hands are washed well.  Do this before, during and after cooking. 
• If you haven't already, before you grill any kind of meat, go out and buy a food thermometer.  Measuring the temperature is the only true way of telling if something is cooked enough or not.  Yes, there are all sorts of tricks to test doneness by touch or sight, but they aren't foolproof.  Take the temperature and you can't go wrong.  Burgers should be cooked to 155 degrees and steaks/roasts to 145 for medium-rare or 160 for medium.  Poultry should always be cooked to 165.  The thermometer probe should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat to get the best reading.
• Hot food should be kept hot until it is ready to be served.  So if it's done, move the stuff you're cooking to a cooler side of the grill until ready to be put out for your guests.  In the same way, cold foods should be kept cold as long as possible.  Keep them in the fridge until ready to be set out or at least in a cooler with ice.
• The food you use should be bought no earlier than a day or two before your cook-out.  Using the freshest ingredients is a great way to combat food-borne problems. 
• Perishable foods should not be set out for more than 2 hours before being refrigerated.  (No more than 1 hour if it's 90 degrees or more.)  No big deal.  Let every take what they want, put it in the fridge or coolers and bring it back out if you need to.
• Speaking of coolers, always have separate coolers--one for food you will or have prepared and one for drinks.  The drink cooler will be opened again and again so any perishable food in there won't stay cold as long.  Full coolers stay cold longer, so be sure to have extra ice or ice packs to help keep the cooler as full as possible.
• The biggest thing you need to do is avoid cross-contamination at all costs.  Have separate cutting boards for raw meat and other items.  Never put cooked meats back on the plate that held it while raw.  (I always put a sheet of foil over a plate to hold the raw meat, then remove it when you put it on the grill.  Voila!  Clean plate!)  Don't use the same utensils--knives, tongs or whatever--for raw meat and other items.  Don't reuse marinade that has had raw meat in it (although you can use it to baste the meat on the grill).

Get familiar with these simple rules and you won't have any problems when hosting your summer cook-outs.  Have fun!

For a few good grilling recipes, check out my June newsletter, which can be found on my Facebook page.

Grilled New Potatoes and Onions

I admit that I'm not a huge potato fan.  I mean, they're fine--I eat them.  They're just not one of my favorites.

Now, when you can get fresh, small new potatoes--red- or otherwise skinned--that's a different story.  They're so creamy and buttery when they're young like that, you can't help by like them.

Here's an easy way to make some new potatoes while you have the grill heated up.  The recipe calls for parboiling them, but to speed things up a little bit, I've microwaved them (on high for 3 minutes and then 1 minute intervals after that until softened). 

Grilled New Potatoes and Onions adapted from Hot and Sticky BBQ by Ted Reader

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

1 lb new potatoes
1 lb sweet onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp cracked black pepper
Salt to taste

1.      Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 10-12 min or until just tender.  Drain, cool under cold water and pat dry.  Cut in half.

2.      Slice onions into ½” slices.

3.      Preheat grill to medium-high.

4.      In a large bowl, toss together, potato halves, onion slices, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, pepper and salt.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.

5.      Grill potatoes and onions 10-12 minutes or until hot and slightly charred.

6.      Chop into bite-sized pieces and dress with marinade before serving.

Grilled Marinated Fennel

My son, Jake, loves fennel.  I can give him a bowl of thinly sliced fennel bulb and he'll eat it like popcorn.  It's good for you and versatile. 

But for some, it can be a little confusing how to use this licorice-flavored veggie.  I like it raw in a salad.  Or use it in any kind of saute to add a little unique flavor.  Roasting it brings out the sweetness and makes for a great side dish.

I really love it marinated and grilled like in the following recipe that I made at Blooming Glen Farm last week.  It's easy and is a great accompaniment to any kind of grilled meat, poultry or fish.  Give it a try!

Grilled Fennel from The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 small or 2 large fennel bulbs (1 ½-2 lbs)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small shallots, minced
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon or basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
 

1.      Cut the stalks and outside leaves off the fennel and reserve for another use.  Cut each bulb lengthwise into ½”-wide slices through the narrow side.

2.      Combine the oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, shallots and tarragon in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix.  Add the fennel and toss to coat.  Cover and let marinate for 2 hours, not necessarily in the refrigerator.

3.      Preheat grill to high.

4.      When ready to cook, remove the fennel slices, arrange on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs until just tender, 8-16 min in all, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Toss the grilled fennel with any remaining marinade and serve warm or at room temperature.

Turkey revisited

As I write this, I am trying out a Cook's Country recipe for "roast" turkey breast with gravy--made in a slow cooker!  I know, doesn't seem like it would work, but I trust their recipes.  I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

Below is a post I made last year at this time (slightly edited)--all about turkeys and the yummy Thanksgiving meals they give us. As a side, check out this post with a strange, but tasty sounding stuffing recipe.

Thanksgiving is coming up on us pretty quickly.  In just over 2 weeks, we'll be searching out our stretchy pants and getting ready to stuff ourselves with our favorite holiday fare.   (Choose your favorite in the poll to the right.)  And I'd be remiss in telling you that Mary Beth and my wedding anniversary falls on the day after Turkey Day this year--just as it did 17 years ago.  17 years!?  How does she do it?

If you are like 97% of Americans, you will be eating turkey this Thanksgiving.  Although more people are eating turkey at non-holiday times (consumption has increased 116% and production is up 300% since 1970), most Americans see turkey as a holiday dish.  Too bad, though.   Turkeys are very low fat and very high in protein (more than chicken or beef).  The average gobbler eaten at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds (much less than the largest turkey on record—86 pounds!). 

Oh, and studies show that there’s way too little tryptophan in turkey to cause drowsiness.   All the wine and food you stuff in your stomach pulls blood away from the brain to aid in digestion and prevents you from seeing the 2nd half of that football game or helping with the dishes.  You’ll have to find another excuse.

Ben Franklin famously nominated the wild turkey as our nation’s symbol (rather than the bald eagle).  He saw that these relatives to the pheasant were hearty, tough and plentiful—just like the early Americans.  Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour for short distances and can run up to 20 mph.  They were nearly wiped out in the U.S. in the early 1900’s, but now thrive in every state except Alaska.   (Most of them seem to live at Peace Valley Park!)

Many of us use frozen turkeys and most of them are fine.   However, there are plenty of places locally to get delicious fresh birds.   Check out this Bucks County Taste post for more information where to get them.   Just remember that they're in demand, so don't wait to long to reserve yours.

There are literally thousands of ways to roast a turkey.  There are recipes with different kinds of rubs and brines.  Some use low heat, some high.   Some roast breast up, some breast down.  Here’s my favorite way to roast a turkey—on the grill.  It turns out juicy and delicious—and cooks very quickly.  It’s from America’s Test Kitchen.  The recipe is for a charcoal grill (with directions for gas grilling at the end of each step.)

1. Dissolve 2 cups kosher or 1 cup table salt in 2 gallons of water in a large stockpot or clean bucket.  Add a 12-14 pound turkey, giblets & tail removed, rinsed thoroughly and wings tucked under.  Refrigerate or put in a very cool spot (32-40 degrees), 12 hours or overnight.  (I have used a cooler and added ice packs to keep cold.)
2. Toward the end of the brining time, cover six 3-inch wood chunks with water in a bowl; soak for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.  (For gas: soak 3 cups of wood chips for about 30 minutes, drain and place in smoker box of gas grill or make a foil pan to hold the chips.)
3. Keep bottom vents on grill completely open.  Start charcoal.  (For gas: place tray of chips on burner and preheat to high for about 20 minutes or until chips are smoking heavily.)
4. Spray a V-rack with nonstick cooking spray.  (Before I had a rack, I made a big foil ring to hold the bird.)  Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cool running water to remove any salt.  Pat dry with paper towels; brush both sides with 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Set turkey, breast-side down, in V-rack.
5. Arrange coals into one side of grill, piling them up 2-3 briquettes high.   Place 3 wood chunks on top of charcoal.  Put grate in place and put V-rack on with turkey over cool side of the grill.  Open lid vents halfway and cover, turning lid so vents are opposite wood chunks to draw smoke through grill.   Grill-roast for 1 hour.  (For gas: Turn off one burner—not the one with the wood chips—and put turkey over that burner.)
6. Remove lid from grill.  Using thick potholders, move V-rack (with turkey) to rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.  Remove grate and put 12 new briquettes and the last 3 wood chunks on top (For gas: add more chips, if necessary); replace grate.  Using wads of paper towels, flip turkey breast-side up in rack.  Return to cool side of grill so that leg & wing that were facing the heat are now facing away.  Cover and grill-roast for 45 minutes.
7. Using thick potholders, turn V-rack with turkey so the leg & wing facing heat is now facing away.   Using an instant-read thermometer, check temperature in each thigh.   The target temp is 175-180.  If it’s close, cover and check the temp again in about 15 minutes.   If it’s below 145, cover and check in a half-hour.
8. Remove turkey from grill, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 20-30 minutes.  Carve and serve.

Really, this sounds more difficult than it really is.  You will LOVE the smoky, moist meat that results from this process.  Save the giblets and find a good giblet gravy recipe to go with your bird.  You’ll be thankful you tried it!

Chicken Dinner

One thing I forgot to include in my post about the Middletown Grange Fair the other day was regarding the big chicken dinner that they have each day.  It might be the most popular thing at the fair.

Prepping the birds for the grill.

Now we didn't stay for the dinner, but we did see them making the chicken and it was pretty impressive. 

We wondered how the show chickens enjoyed the smell.

The birds are strapped in these grill cages (I swear there was a carnival ride much like that at the fair) and they are grilled over huge charcoal pits by the hundreds.  They make about 1200 chickens per day for the dinners. 

Charcoal reserves.

During the grilling, they are sprayed with a mixture of butter, vinegar, salt and water--for flavor, moisture, and a crispy skin.  Quite an undertaking--especially on hot day.

Did you go to the Grange Fair's chicken dinner?  Let me know how it was!

Where's the Beef?

In a recent New York Times article, Mark Bittman wrote:

The grill, as everyone knows, is the best place to cook a steak, but that doesn’t mean you have to cook a steak every time you fire up the grill.       

Very true.  I mean, a really good grilled steak is hard to beat.  But you can do so much more on a grill than just meat and poultry.  All kinds of veggies are great when mixed with the smoky goodness that comes from grilling.

If you read my last post, you would have gotten a great recipe for a grilled veggie salad.  Marinated veggies with those yummy black char marks.  Mmmm...

Although people don't think of doing it very often, grilling fruit can be a wonderful way of bringing out the subtle flavors of fruits like peaches, bananas, pineapple, melons and more.  This weekend I made a Grilled Pineapple-Banana Fool (a parfait-type dessert layering the grilled fruit tossed with a little honey and sweetened whipped cream). 

Grilled fruits aren't just for desserts, though.  Sprinkle pineapple slices with salt, pepper and something spicy (like cayenne) and grill them to use as a side dish for grilled fish or pork.  The possibilities are as endless as your creativity!

Read more about grilling meaty veggies in Bittman's article.  Then get the grill fired up!

Think Warm

I knew it.  That little burst of spring at the end of last week was just a teaser.  The snow is falling yet again outside my window.

Last weekend--a windy and cold one (as usual)--I was looking for something make for dinner.  And although I really don't mind the cold winter weather, I'm starting to get that itch to spend some time outside without bundling up. 

So I grabbed some brats from Blooming Glen Pork, heated up the grill (gave it a little more time in the cold), made some tasty macaroni salad and we had a little summer-like meal.  It's funny how food can be associated with a certain time of year and this really did make us think of the warm weather to come. 

No, we didn't eat out on the patio.

The Grill of Your Dreams

With Independence Day coming up this weekend, grills will be fired up all over the place.  Nothing says summer like the smell of some burgers or steaks cooking over a fire. 

There's something about grilling that gets us back to our primal selves--as long as there's been cooking, there's been grilling in some form or another.  At it's most basic, grilling is simple--throw something on the grill and take it off when it's done.

But grilling is much more than that.  It's not hard--in fact, it's probably the simplest way to cook.  Yet, doing things the right way will give you a lot less aggravation and stress. 

A post on Bucks County Taste that I wrote gives you some tips that will make your grilling experience a lot easier and more successful.  It also has a couple of recipes for great steak marinades that will be the hit of your party.  And there's a link to another BCT post that tells you where to get some of the best meats in Bucks County. 

Check out my July newsletter (going out tomorrow) for some delicious summer beverage recipes that will taste great with all that grilled food.  (If you don't get my newsletter, send me an email and I'll put you on the list!)

Happy grilling!