Baby, you can light my fire!

[robyn]

It's spring, and I'm ready to light it up!  Is anyone interested in swapping unusual seafood recipes for the grill?  I am SO tired of ribs, tri-tip, lamb and steak.  (Yeah, yeah, poor me.)

And can someone please explain the proper State of the Grill?  Dan says a "little char" keeps food from sticking, and I say congealed half-life grease looks nasty on seafood.  We have "His" and "Hers" grills. 

I bought the package of 4 cedar planks from Williams Sonoma last year (you soak them and put them on the grill) - and really like them for seafood (particularly salmon). Imparts a nice wood fired taste while avoiding the problems of overcooking fish.

As for cleaning - if I don't clean the grill - the racoons will pick it apart at night and (try to) lick it clean. The idea of coon spittle all over my food just doesn't appeal to me. So I clean that grill as well as I clean everything else in my kitchen. Robyn

[Rebel Rose]

As for cleaning - if I don't clean the grill - the racoons will pick it apart at night and (try to) lick it clean. The idea of coon spittle all over my food just doesn't appeal to me.

Ew. They're cute, but they do get into everything, don't they? I'm off to the hardware store to get a clean grill today--maybe they'll have cedar planks, too!

I was planning on doing some salmon tonight. I've been pruning my herb beds and I'm soaking the trimmings in a bucket of water. My idea is to use the herb wood as a wet bed, much like the plank idea, for the salmon. If I find cedar it would be interesting to do the salmon side by side and see how it works out. Also doing a grill basket of mixed mushrooms to be basted with black truffle butter. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Marlene. Girl. Where are those pictures?

[Marlene]

The @#%$ pictures are still in the camera. I have to get hubby to download them. As soon as he's home for more than 2 minutes at a time, I'll get him to do so.

[Marlene]

Ok, finally here they are. Someday I'll learn how to crop pictures better.

The new Q

Inside the Q. Notice the huge rotisserie burner.

Prepping the roast with EVOO, cracked pepper and kosher salt

Onto the Q

Nicely crisped roast

Done perfectly med- rare inside

It was really good!

[GG Mora]

:full-blown temper tantrum:

I WANT one.

[Jason Perlow]

Marlene, nice grill.

Emphasis on the word "grill".

[Marlene]

Marlene, nice grill.

Emphasis on the word "grill".

yeah yeah.

[Rebel Rose]

Absolutely gorgeous!

I hope we'll be seeing more grill sessions soon!

(I did the salmon-on-herbs experiment, and I'll post pictures and notes tonight.) Have to get ready for work today.

[Rebel Rose]

After an exhausting and dehydrating day fixing our well, my SO and our vineyard assistant asked me to fire up the grill and make "that salmon thing you were talking about." So here are some notes on my herbs-on-the-grill experiment. I've thrown handfuls of wet herbs directly on coals before, but I wanted to try a full bed-of-herbs technique.

First I soaked trimmings from the herb garden—tarragon, bay branches, and rosemary—in water. These were in a bucket of water for two days, but an hour or two should suffice.

When the coals were hot, I made a bed of herbs on top of the grill and laid two salmon filets, skin side down, on the herbs. The filets were brushed first with olive oil and homemade mint-tarragon salt, with the salt lightly rubbed into the meat, and topped on the grill with slices of honey tangerine and star fruit.

Whoa! Even soaked in water the herbs were looking igniting-ish. Yikes! I kept the last branch of bay out and used it to brush more water over the herbs, but my significanto happily took over. There's something kind of sexy about stroking a lobster tail with a bay branch. The smoke was incredibly aromatic, and we all agreed the presentation was attractive and fun. We'd added the two lobster tails since we had the unexpected pleasure of Jake, our vineyard assistant, joining us for dinner. However, some of the herbs charred and stuck to the salmon, so I would recommend putting the salmon on a grill platter and then onto the herbs. We left the grill open for awhile (no one's wearing a watch), then finished with the cover on for maybe two minutes. We also scooted the fruit around as the salmon was decidedly pinker under the fruit.

We all agreed that the lobster fared better since it was in its shell, and Jake suggested that my herb-smoked oysters would be excellent this way, particularly since the presentation and aromatics were impressive. We grill oysters in the shell over coals and wet herbs until they open. Some of our friends like their oysters a little more done than we do, so I scoop them out and put them in a grill basket, close the lid for a minute or two, then serve them up in clean shells with a tiny slice of lemon, a sage leaf, and a spoonful of grilled pepper pesto. (Served with sangiovese or pinot noir.) But putting both the oysters in the shell, and the oyster basket directly on a bed of herbs . . . hmm.

Jake is happily filling his plate. The guys loved the salmon and lobster, and both were tender and juicy, but the herb flavor was too strong on both for me. If you like your seafood pure, this method will not appeal, but it sure was fun.

The guys disagreed and said the herb flavors were earthy and satisfying. Next time we do oysters I am definitely doing the herb bed again.

[Marlene]

This baby  will arrive in our backyard on Friday.   Don calls it the "Hummer of BBQ's".   He thinks it's a Father's Day present for him

I'm ready to grill the entire summer

The inside

←

Ok, I have to admit. This baby arrived in June, and until now, I've never touched it. Not that my husband would let me . Besides, I was afraid of it .However, being on my own tonight and having a hankering for red meat, led me to brave my fears and fire it up for the first time. The menu, a 2 " rib eye Canadian Prime Rib Eye Steak, with yellow and green beans with a lemon butter almondine sauce.

I am so thrilled. With a little instruction from Dave the Cook, I seasoned it with a little kosher salt and painted it with some Worcestershire sauce. I even got the diamond pattern right (well on one side anyway). Absolutely awesome. Accompanied by a 1994 Château neuf du Pape, I'm in heaven.

I did take pics and as soon as my hubby gets home to download them for me, I shall post them.

Rejoice, for I am a grill virgin no longer.

[Mayhaw Man]

Do you girls need any help?

[Marlene]

I think I just proved that we don't. Thanks all the same.

[Mayhaw Man]

Just asking. It is the gentlemanly thing to do. I will now retire to the barcalounger and watch SEC football while I await my meal. Try not to burn it. That was a nice piece of meat.

[Marlene]

You are a gentleman and a scholar as anyone can attest Brooks. And I can assure you I did not burn it.

[Marlene]

Steak pics.

Fresh from the BBQ

Nicely medium rare

It was soooo good.

[Rebel Rose]

Rejoice, for I am a grill virgin no longer.

You go, girl! That steak is awesome. Better not let your SO see the pics or you'll be grilling straight through football season.

[Marlene]

Fortunately, he doesn't watch football. Or hockey. Or baseball. Or basketball.

However, I've been informed that I'll be making steaks again tonight since he's actually going to make it home for dinner.

[Rebel Rose]

From Marlene and Sam's Foodblog:

First the conversation with Ryan on the way home.

Ryan: "So what's for dinner?"

Me: "Spit roasted chicken, potatoes, asparagus, and trifle"

Ryan: "Spit roasted chicken? Is Don home?"

Me: "No, he'll be a bit late tonight"

Ryan: YOU'RE going to BBQ? Do you even know how to turn it on?"

Me: "Of course I know how to turn it on"

Ryan: "Well maybe, but do you think you should? Maybe you should wait for Don"

From the looks of that steak, I find it difficult to believe that Don hasn't expected a few more grill delights from you during the past few months.

[Marlene]

I only turn on the BBQ when I'm forced to do so. Don usually lights it for me. Then, I'll grill, sometimes.