Grilling

[Susan in FL]

I'll be on the lookout for grilling ideas and recipes, so please share some of your favorites. For my birthday, my husband bought us the grill I have been lusting after for the past year or so. It's a Coleman, with a rotisserie (...yesss!!) and a deep fryer. He gave me "one dinner included" and sent me out shopping with his plastic. How dangerous was that... I was tempted to buy an outfit and accessories to wear at dinner, but thought that would be pushing my luck. Anyway, the dinner which was all cooked on the new grill was lobster tail as a starter, beef tenderloin roast using the rotisserie, homemade french fries (no mess indoors!), and portobella mushrooms, sweet onions, and Belgian endives. Everything was delicious.

Happy Grilling!

[lamb]

Zowie! Do you need a license to drive that??

Seriously, it is beautiful. Happy grilling.

[Toliver]

Susan,

Did you get a basket for the rotisserie? We used to have a round cage-like basket that we would BBQ chicken pieces in using the rotisserie. It could come in handy for things that you can't really put on the grill itself (shrimp thingies, etc).

Thanks for posting the great pictures! I am already salivating.

And is that a tomato plant growing there in the background? I am doubly envious!

edited for clarity

Edited March 29, 2004 by Toliver (log)

[docsconz]

sweet! We are having a beautiful day here. I am planning on buying some veal chops and grilling them outside this evening. It will be the season premier.

[Marlene]

What a gorgeous looking unit!

[clothier]

where does the charcoal go?

[Susan in FL]

Zowie! Do you need a license to drive that??

LOL, almost! We did have to -- or chose to -- rent one of Lowe's trucks to drive it home. They would have delivered it, but not until yesterday, and we couldn't postpone the gratification a day longer.

Did you get a basket for the rotisserie? We used to have a round cage-like basket that we would BBQ chicken pieces in using the rotisserie. It could come in handy for things that you can't really put on the grill itself (shrimp thingies, etc).

No, but a rotisserie basket does sound like a handy thingie. I wonder if that is available separately.

And yes, on the tomato plant... The little salad garden is two weeks old now. We were warned about how terrible Florida soil is for tomatoes, but we dug out a lot and hopefully brought in enough new store-bought dirt. So far, so good.

Yum, veal chops. I just put that on my mental list of things to cook on the grill. I think tonight is going to be grilled fish of some kind, depending on what is freshest.

[chado]

Susan - that new toy of yours is absolutely incredible!!

[Jake]

I am soooooo jealous! That looks wonderful. I just love grilling.

[spoonbread]

Wow! Looks like to could grill a herd of Buffalo on that thing! ( and fry up some wings too!).

I like to use jerk marinade when I bbq, thats my fav, as well as the traditional tomato, brown sugar thing. One really cool recipe I have is mango chutney, honey, oj, chipotle peppers in Adobo and mushroom soy emulsified with olive oil. Creates a really sweet, spicy-smokey flavor.

Hope this helps........

Edited March 29, 2004 by spoonbread (log)

[Susan in FL]

All, thanks for sharing in my excitement. And thanks for the idea of jerk marinating. I have never made jerk anything, so I think the time has come!

[Chris Cognac]

Wow, that looks awesome...the food as well as the grill!

[robyn]

And yes, on the tomato plant...  The little salad garden is two weeks old now.  We were warned about how terrible Florida soil is for tomatoes, but we dug out a lot and hopefully brought in enough new store-bought dirt.  So far, so good.

The problem with veggies here isn't the soil - it's the bugs - and the birds!

I tried tomatoes one year - they looked great. Couldn't wait to eat one. The minute the first one got ripe - the birds decided to sample it. They didn't like it. So they tried lots more. Didn't like them either. Then the bugs arrived in force. So every tomato that didn't have a peck hole had worms. Yuck.

I am not a serious vegetable gardener - so I am not willing to do what it takes to raise $20 worth of nice looking veggies in my garden. If you want to give it the "old college try" - I suggest subscribing to the Clay County Contact - a little newspaper put out 6 times a year by the University of Florida agricultural extension. It tells you everything you need to know about raising plants and animals - including your pigs and cows - in north Florida. It costs all of $3/year. I think you can get subscription information by calling 904-284-6355 or 352-473-3711.

By the way - I find that most herbs are relatively bug and bird resistant. Except for things like parsley which I plant as larval plants for caterpillars. I am a much happier gardener now that I plant things mostly for the bugs and birds to eat. I know my milkweed is working when the monarch caterpillars have eaten every leaf off every plant and the butterflies and hummingbirds are going to town on the flowers .

P.S. My coons know how to remove the drip pan from my BBQ and lick it clean at night. Have yours learned yet ? Robyn

[Susan in FL]

Oh my. Thanks for the info.

We're forewarned and forearmed about the bugs... but birds, haven't had that problem for the 2 1/2 years I've lived here. Yet. And no coons yet, either. But squirrels, yes! They are digging holes like crazy in the the tons of mulch I've spread!

The soil IS part of the problem, I must say, after having been used to growing tomatoes in Delmarva. And New Jersey... nothing beats New Jersey tomatoes.

[docsconz]

Grilled up my veal chops tonight as well as nice skinny asparagi. I marinaded the chops in EVOO, anchovy (as per bleudauvergne's thread on lamb chops) and garlic with fresh-ground pepper. They were two-inch thick loin chops. Yum! I made them for myself and my kids since my wife was out of town (she doesn't eat veal). I was too lazy to make potatoes too, so I served Cape Cod Whole Earth Collection yukon Gold Chips. I also cracked a 375ml bottle of '97 Montelena. It was too nice a day weather-wise to settle for anything less.

[Susan in FL]

That sounds really good. Isn't it nice when you're on your own, and can eat something your partner doesn't prefer?! And there is something about anchovies with veal...

I forgot to mention the wine, from my birthday shopping spree. I got Burgess 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet. Wonderful.

Was the Montelena a Zinfandel?

What a great idea about the chips!

[balmagowry]

The soil IS part of the problem, I must say, after having been used to growing tomatoes in Delmarva.  And New Jersey...  nothing beats New Jersey tomatoes.

Oh yeah? Bet you wouldn't say that to a Lawn Guylander's FACE.

But with a grill like that, sheesh - who needs a kitchen?

[docsconz]

The Montelena was the Estate cab. It was gooooood.

For dessert I made a grilled chocolate, strawberry and mango burrito.

[Susan in FL]

For dessert I made a grilled chocolate, strawberry and mango burrito.

Whoa... yum, would you please tell me how you did that?

[docsconz]

Susan, thanks for the interest. Actually it was very easy. I heated a flour tortilla on a griddle until it was hot and soft, grated some dark chocolate (actually a lot of dark chocolate), took some sliced strawberries and mango, spread them on top, folded it into a burrito then put it back onto the double-sided griddle for a minute or so until the tortilla was crisped and all the chocolate melted. While it was "grilled", I must confess, this part wasn't done on the charcoal grill, although I imagine it probably could have been.

[robyn]

Oh my.  Thanks for the info.

We're forewarned and forearmed about the bugs...  but birds, haven't had that problem for the 2 1/2 years I've lived here.  Yet.    And no coons yet, either.  But squirrels, yes!  They are digging holes like crazy in the the tons of mulch I've spread!

The soil IS part of the problem, I must say, after having been used to growing tomatoes in Delmarva.  And New Jersey...  nothing beats New Jersey tomatoes.

If they're deep holes - they're probably armadillos - not squirrels. Robyn

[Susan in FL]

John, what a great idea, and easy. Next week we're having company for a grill dinner on the porch. Maybe that will be dessert. But I think I should practice practice practice before serving it to guests.

Robyn, armadillos?!? I thought they were larger animals. These holes are pretty small. Actually, I wondered if they were made by snakes, but my husband suspected squirrels. I haven't looked too closely to see how deep they are. We have 1.5 acres, most of it wooded, and there are lots of squirrels. I think I want to believe that they're squirrel holes instead of armadillos or snakes.

Wow, you're full of all sorts of cheery gardening news!

[robyn]

John, what a great idea, and easy.  Next week we're having company for a grill dinner on the porch.  Maybe that will be dessert.  But I think I should practice practice practice before serving it to guests. 

Robyn, armadillos?!?  I thought they were larger animals.  These holes are pretty small.  Actually, I wondered if they were made by snakes, but my husband suspected squirrels.  I haven't looked too closely to see how deep they are.  We have 1.5 acres, most of it wooded, and there are lots of squirrels.  I think I want to believe that they're squirrel holes instead of armadillos or snakes.

Wow, you're full of all sorts of cheery gardening news!

There's nothing wrong with armadillos. Look here - they're really cool animals. Even though they're one of only about 5 species of animals in Florida that enjoy absolutely no protection whatsoever . No other animals always give birth to identical quadruplets! They make smallish but deep holes - hunting for bugs. They look like the animal equivalent of a Humvee - but they won't hurt you.

Nothing wrong with the snakes on your property either (you have them even if don't see them that often - if you do a lot of gardening on the property - you'll run across the discarded skins more often than the snakes).

Actually - squirrels are kind of smarmy - giant rat-like things.

We have about an acre next to a swamp - and we enjoy the wildlife here. Even the mole families which live in the corners of the house and make big tunnels everywhere. I worry more about wild fires caused by lack of forest clearing than I worry about the critters that live here.

By the way - when it comes to grilling - we have an excellent marinade which is sold here in Publix (maybe other places). Made in Middleburg. Pirate's Gold. I recommend it - particularly on rib eyes. Robyn

[clifford]

Susan,

That is quite the piece of machinery you have there!

One question, do you have the gas line coming from the house, or are you now resigned to weekly visits to the Loew's for a refill of propane.

A friend of mine recently purchased a similar behemoth, and had a propane line run from her house out to the grill with a simple quick disconnect to have it pass fire codes.

VISUALIZE PERPETUAL GRILLING!

[Susan in FL]

There's nothing wrong with armadillos. Look here - they're really cool animals. Even though they're one of only about 5 species of animals in Florida that enjoy absolutely no protection whatsoever . No other animals always give birth to identical quadruplets! They make smallish but deep holes - hunting for bugs. They look like the animal equivalent of a Humvee  - but they won't hurt you.

I think maybe the holes are from armadillos. They are sort of cone shaped holes. Sounds like that would be a good thing, if they do love to feast on ants and other bugs! Thanks for the link; they are interesting animals! I don't know if this photo will show, but here is one of The Holes In Question.

Thank you for you garden consultation services, Robyn!