Fresh bugers - chilled

We took this picture the other night when we couldn't take it anymore and needed to have a real - fresh - grilled burger... but it was rather cold (that's the 21F in the picture) and VERY windy. So - we were attempting to prove, from the warmth of the house between burger flips - that we were in fact using the grill. The problem is - the wind was so strong - you can't see the smoke!
Anyhow - the burgers landed on some grill up sourdough slices - and minus the fresh from the garden lettuce and tomato - they were EXCELLENT! Ohh - and one other great thing in this picture - it's 5:30 - and still light out! Winter is drawing to a close!

Happy New Years Report

It's into a new year - hello 2008... boy do we have plans for you!
Posting will be a little shy here over the first couple of weeks in the new year - not a lot going on...
New Years Eve was our typical - we were asleep right after the ball dropped... Food was minimal since we both still feel full from Christmas - we had grill blackened Greek chicken with homemade hummus and homemade whole wheat flat breads - dressing and fresh yogurt too! Very yummy - and not too filling.

New Years Day we had Max and Carol over to eat more food - we had a dried fruit stuffed pork loin, wild long grain rice with cranberries and pecans, another round of the smoked salmon from Christmas Eve and various other yummies.
Also made some plain old "comfort food" white rolls from one of my Christmas cookbook gifts - The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook - which is AWESOME!
If you like to bake, want to like to bake, need to bake, know someone who bakes - get them this book! It's amazing!

"like peas and carrots"

Peas and carrots - no - but steak and potatoes - YES! With some fresh tomatoes and fresh basil... Not something we eat a lot - so when you do have it - you better do it right. Get the steaks up to near room temp - with a pinch of sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, some dried onions and dried garlic flakes on both sides... SEAR them on the grill... Only turn them once, it keeps the juices in. Then when they come off the grill, you had better tent them like you would a large cut of meat... that's crucial (but also remember, they will continue to cook while tented). Server with a dollop of chives and butter on top of the steak... some of the tent juices drizzled around too.
The potatoes are done on the grill with a couple pats of butter on top - wrapped in foil... roll then side to side as they cool - the skin will become super crispy!
In another pouch of foil add some cut mushrooms, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard and pepper... wrap them tightly and place them on a higher rack - let them "steam" - about 5 minutes before they are done - open the pocket and let them dry out a tad.
Serve - enjoy!
This is the reward for starting to move things into the barn, getting some insulation up on the walls in there, Kelli finishing some rooms, painting some others, and generally enjoying life!

B, L, and Dinner too!

Let's see - put some nice thick bacon on the grill... keep it from flaming up... keep turning it... make it nice and crispy...
Then - bring it inside to the kitchen island... have it meet Mr. Miracle Whip, Mrs. Lettuce and Miss. Tomato... all inside a slice of warm, toasty, cripy fresh artisan bread...WHAT!? Not final product picture... sorry - I ate it!
Nothing beats a good BLT with tomatoes fresh from the garden and open grilled bacon!

Sunday BBQ

We had a very busy weekend - as is evidenced by the fact that there were no updates... but rest assured - I have plenty of material to work with now!

The tomatoes and peppers are starting to roll in off the plants now - about 6 nice green bells and a couple more smallish tomatoes. Our zukes are starting to produce now - it's kinda the calm before the storm... about 5 little guys are on the plant now - each between 1 - 3" long... so - before you know it - we will be under a pile of them!

We had Kelli's folks up for the weekend (for stories of the antics - watch for future posts). Sunday night we did dinner right - and had Max and Carol over too. Kelli and I have always enjoyed entertaining - the whole good food, good friends, good company thing... but it's so easy and enjoyable now - we find ourselves doing it nearly every weekend - and still managing to get things done around the place.

Anyhow - there is a logical progression in the photos here of dinner. Here's the tractor - implement free - with the smoker in the background. Kelli snapped this one because it was a common sight Sunday - as I would mow - then stop to check on the smoker - then repeat (for the better part of the afternoon).

Of course - all the mowing and smoking makes you hungry - so we had quite the feast... Smoke babyback ribs, smoked salmon, smoked hotdogs (don't knock them till you try them - my buddy Scott turned us onto these guys smeared with Laughing Cow cheese), Carol's fresh mozzarella tomatoes and basil, Kelli's homemade coleslaw, smoked baked beans, grilled corn on the cob... just a big 'ole picnic!
And apparently - even with all this good food out - the conversations were good enough that people kept right on talking... Kelli and I took this picture - then were not bashful and ate!