Chillin’ & Grillin’ Memorial Day Weekend Special

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a sunny or even partly sunny weekend. Memorial Day Weekend is always busy with the cottage and beach clean-ups and visits with family and friends. After a busy day with spring cleaning, launching boats and planting geraniums, everyone will be ready for a relaxing cookout. Let’s hope the weather cooperates!

Here are a few ideas:

To Start:  Quench everyone’s thirst with a refreshing Shandy. A European favorite with lots of variations it’s a great way to start a picnic or cookout.

After a busy day appetites will be hearty. Let your guest nibble on a big platter of fresh veggies with Tapenade and/or White Bean Dip. Meanwhile, put the grill to work with some Grilled Antipasto.

The Main Event:
Keep it simple and delicious. Grilled Chicken with Shallots & New Potatoes is always a good choice for a crowd. Who doesn’t like chicken? Then again, maybe you’re in the mood for beef. The New Potatoes will pair beautifully with a couple of Grilled Strip Steaks. The Gorgonzola Sauce  is a delicious addition. Add a beautiful Garden Salad and dinner is done.

Sweet Finale: Watch me make Rhubarb Crisp on Cook’s Corner – WMUR/Channel 9 – NH’s ABC affiliate 

My rhubarb plant is big and bright and ready for harvest. What could be better than Rhubarb Crisp for dessert. If you have a bunch of kids at the party, add a pan of Triple Threat Brownies.

Have a fun and festive feast! Bon appétit!

.

Shandy
Serve 4

8 ounces cold limeade or lemonade
8 ounces cold ginger ale
16 ounces cold ale
Lemon and lime slices

Put the lime- or lemonade, ginger ale, ale and a few lemon and lime slices in a large pitcher. Stir to combine. Serve the shandies over ice with a slice of lemon or lime.

Ginger and Lime Fizz
Serve 2
8 ounces cold limeade
8 ounces cold ginger ale
Lemon and lime slices

Fill glasses with ice, add the lime- or lemonade and top with ginger ale. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime.

How will you celebrate Memorial Day Weekend? Growing webs between your toes? How are you staying happy and sane during all this rainy weather? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for more seasonal menus! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2011

A Warm Welcome Back to the Summer People & Wheat Berry Salad

The snow birds began drifting back a week or two ago. The post office and supermarket parking lots are already a little busier. Of course it’s nothing like the summer when you have to drive to the next county just to find a parking spot. The summer people won’t be here for another month or more. However, a good number of them will show up for the long Memorial Day Weekend.

I love that name, summer people. It sounds exotic but in a familiar, New England kind of way. Like Jay Gatsby and Daisy and the green light at the end of the dock. Yes, I know their story takes place on Long Island but it could just as well have happened in New Hampshire or Maine or on Cape Cod.

In another life, I was a summer person. It was nowhere near as glamorous as an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Then again, it began several decades and a great depression after the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. That and I come from pretty ordinary stock. No multimillions. No champagne for breakfast. No cheating at golf. We didn’t spend the summer in a palatial mansion with manicured lawns and gardens but in a simple brown box in the woods.

While a part of me will probably always be a summer person, I can no longer claim the title. Almost eight years ago I came to my senses and moved my whole kit and caboodle to New Hampshire. Except for the black flies I pretty much like everything about living in New Hampshire. With summer just around the corner there is a lot to love.

Memorial Day signals the end of frost danger and reassures us that summer, while slow in coming, will be here eventually. It’s a good time to plant the geraniums, tomatoes and basil. If you haven’t taken down your dry-as-dust Christmas wreath, it’s high time you did. You can put the flag up while you are out there. It’s also a good time to grab the grill from the back of the garage, dust it off and begin to enjoy a little outdoor cooking.

I love the hustle and bustle of Memorial Day Weekend. When I was a kid, a few of the local, year round residents complained about the summer people. As soon as we began to trickle in for the holiday weekend, they’d start to harrumph and grumble. Some were none too subtle about it and made noisy, pointed complaints as they impatiently waited in line at the supermarket or gas station.

I guess I will always be a summer person at heart. Although I sometimes think it’s fun to refer to them as flatlanders, I’m happy to see the summer people arrive. My neighborhood is pretty quiet throughout the winter and mud season. It’s wonderful to see it perk up over the Memorial Day Weekend. My summer neighbors arrive to sweep out their cottages, chase squirrels out the attic and swat black flies. They’ll get out their kayaks, sail- and motorboats. Some will fish. A few will take a plunge into the still-icy cold lake. In the evening, burgers will hit the grill and their smoky scent will mingle with the perfume of blooming lilacs. The air will be filled with laughter and at least a shout or two of joy.

By Monday afternoon the summer people will be gone again. The neighborhood will return to its sleepy off-season self. But not to worry, they’ll be back. They always return in plenty of time for the boat parade, cookouts and fireworks on the 4th of July.

Have a wonderful weekend with family and friends. Bon appétit!

Wheat Berry Salad 
Wheat berries have a chewy texture and nutty taste. They are good for you and great in a summer salad. A terrific additional to your Memorial Day Weekend cookouts. Enjoy!
Serves 4-6

1 cup wheat berries*
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lime
6 radishes, cut in julienne (matchsticks)
4 carrots, cut in julienne (matchsticks)
1/2 – 1 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries

Put the wheat berries in a saucepan with 3 cups of salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until tender.

While the wheat berries are cooking, put the radishes, carrots, pepper, scallions and half the herbs in a bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle and toss with enough Citrus Vinaigrette to lightly coat and transfer to the refrigerator.

When the wheat berries are cooked, drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add the orange and lime zest, the remaining herbs, dried cranberries and enough Citrus Vinaigrette to lightly coat. Toss to combine and cool to room temperature. When the wheat berries have cooled, add the vegetables, toss to combine and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off and serve.

The salad can be prepared up to one day in advance.

* If you don’t have time, can’t find wheat berries or they’re just too chewy for you, substitute quinoa or Israeli couscous. Quinoa and couscous cook up in about 10-15 minutes and kids love them both.

Citrus Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 clove garlic
1/2-inch slice of a medium red onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Put the juices, vinegar, honey, cinnamon, garlic and onion in a blender or small food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth. Add the olive oil to taste and process until combined and emulsified. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before using to let the flavors combine.

Cover and store leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator. Try it on your next green or garden salad.

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One Year Ago – Feta & Walnut Spread
Two Years Ago – Grilled Vegetables & Gorgonzola Bruschetta

How will you spend Memorial Day Weekend? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for lots more to read, see & cook! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2011

Hot off the Grill & Spicy Grilled Steak

May is National Barbeque Month, which seems a little early for me. Spring has just sprung, I still have daffodils in my yard and summer is at least a month way. To top it off a gale was blowing across the lake the other day. I took a walk anyway and almost ended up in Oz. I made it home safe but hardly of sound mind because I immediately began staining the new porch. I nearly froze. Yes, it’s the same porch that I was hoping would be done in time for Mothers’ Day. And no, it’s not finished. I guess that’s ok because it was too cold to eat outdoors. Instead of firing up the grill, I lit a fire in the fireplace and we had a warm and cozy celebration inside.

But back to barbeques. The Memorial Day Weekend is the more or less official start of summer in places warmer than northern New England. We wait until at least Flag Day or even the 4th of July. However, like the proverbial postal carrier, neither snow nor rain nor dark of night can keep us from our grills for too long.

With longer days and (hopefully soon) warmer evenings, grills are coming out of hibernation. Before you know it, the neighborhood will be filled with enticing aromas from multiple backyard barbeques. Or is it cookout? In New England, we generally call them cookouts, although a true aficionado will tell you that a cookout is not a barbeque. Direct heat, indirect heat, grilling or smoking, whichever you do and whatever you call it, a party under the stars has enormous appeal for any- and everyone. What’s not to love about a warm, relaxing evening outside with family and friends?

When it comes to the backyard barbeque, one size does not fit all. First, there are the indifferent cooks. The guys (yes, most outdoor chefs are male) who just like the camaraderie of a neighborhood get-together. They’ll dash out to the supermarket in the late afternoon, grab some burgers and dogs, a bag of chips and a jar of salsa, a quart or two of coleslaw, some beer and a box of popsicles. They call up everyone they know and bring them together for a jolly evening around the grill and picnic table. These parties may lack a little when it comes to unusual or gourmet flavor but they surely make up for it in spontaneity and good cheer. Besides no one goes home hungry.

Then there are the enthusiasts. They certainly know the difference between a barbeque and a cookout. These guys live to grill. The enthusiast is ready, willing and able to debate the pros and cons of different cuts of meat, gas versus charcoal, even Mary Ann versus Ginger. They take great pride in creating prefect pulled pork, smoky ribs or beer can chicken. Some even enter cook-offs. These guys can be fiercely loyal to a specific style of barbeque, be it Memphis or Tex-Mex, Kansas City or whatever.

Others take a more adventurous route; they mix it up a little. These backyard chefs get their inspiration from far and wide and around the world. They don’t ignore American grilling and barbeque traditions but they take additional cues from Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. They seek out secret spices and experiment with different flavors, sauces and rubs.

Whether staunch regionalist or wanderlust foodie, you may have an enthusiast in your neighbor or better yet, he may live with you. Maybe you are that guy. Count yourself lucky, you will be well fed throughout the fun-filled summer. I discovered long ago that good friends make a good party but adding a few, really good, really special dishes will make a good party great. Enjoy the long weekend and,

Bon appétit!

Spicy Grilled Steak
Looking for cookout ideas for Memorial Day Weekend? Try my Spicy Steak Rub. Interesting, flavorful food doesn’t have to be difficult. Sometimes all it takes is a few extra minutes and a little advanced planning. Add some spice to a simple steak; grill up a few vegetables and you’ll have your first taste of summer. Enjoy!
Serves 4

1 – 1 1/2 pounds New York strip steak (or cut of your choice), cut about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 – 3 teaspoons Spicy Rub (recipe follows)
Juice of 1/2 lime
4 cloves garlic, minced
Extra Virgin olive oil

Combine the spice mix, lime and garlic, in a shallow dish; add enough olive oil to create a smooth paste. Add the steak and coat it with the marinade. Rub the marinade into the meat. Let the steak marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (If marinating in the refrigerator, bring the steak to room temperature before grilling.)

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Fire should be medium hot. Grill the steak, about 4 minutes per side for rare and 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Spicy Mix
1 tablespoon each ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cumin and kosher salt
1 teaspoon each thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper and freshly ground pepper
Combine all the spices in a clean jar. Shake to combine.

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Do you have a question? An idea, a few thoughts or an opinion you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2009