Grilled Shrimp Panzanella

There is something about cooking everything, and I do mean everything, on the grill that makes things taste just so much better.  And as these last days of summer fade into autumn, I'm kicking ye olde grille into overtime, baby.  This recipe is a case in point...technically it is a salad, but two of the major ingredients are cooked on the grill.  (In about 5 minutes, which makes it even more enticing in my book.)

Panzanella is traditionally a salad that substitutes bread for the lettuce (how great is that??), usually tossed with some tomatoes, olive oil and a little vinegar, which in and of itself is pretty wonderful.  This particular recipe adds some shrimp and basil and substitutes lemon juice for the vinegar, but here's the beauty part...the shrimp and the bread are cooked on the grill first.  That gives the whole thing that charred grill taste that makes everything feel like the best part of summer.

So while we still have these lazy, hazy days of summer, surrounded by tomatoes and basil, grab yourself some bread and shrimp and crank up that grill.  Salad never tasted so dang good.

Grilled Shrimp Panzanella, from Real Simple

• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp


• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


• 4 tablespoons olive oil


• kosher salt and black pepper


• 1 small baguette (about 8 ounces), split lengthwise


• 2 1/2 pounds heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges


• 2 cups fresh basil leaves

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Brush the baguette with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil.


2. Grill the baguette and shrimp, uncovered, until the baguette is golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side, and the shrimp are opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut the baguette into bite-size pieces.


3. In a second large bowl, toss the shrimp, baguette, tomatoes, and basil with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

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Grilled Lebanese Flatbread

There's something about bread on the grill that is just out of this world.  Grilled cheese sandwiches, grilled pizza, grilled bread for open-faced sandwiches (my current summer obsession)...all of these things that are normally made inside take on a magical quality with just that tiny bit of charred-ness you get only from the grill.

And one of my most favorite variations on this is just plain old flatbread.  It's a quick and easy dough that you mix up in 5 minutes, let rise for an hour or so, knead for a few minutes and then roll out.  Brush it with olive oil, pop it on the grill, and about 5 minutes later you have this:

Gorgeous, warm, crusty bread.  You can tear it up and use it as something to spread cheese or hummus on.  You can dip it into a bowl of olive oil seasoned with pepper and rosemary.  You can use it as the base for an avocado, egg and smoked salmon sandwich.  Or you can just stand next to the grill the second it comes off and eat it right there.  I may or may not have been known to have done that.

Grills.  They're not just for burgers anymore.  

Grilled Lebanese Flatbread, from Mark Bittman

• 2 teaspoons salt


• 1 teaspoon sugar


• 1 tablespoon instant yeast


• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• Extra virgin olive oil as needed

1. Whisk together the salt, sugar, yeast and 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit until it begins to froth, about 5 minutes, then add the flour and mix until well combined. (If the dough is very dry, add more warm water a tablespoon at a time to moisten it.) Cover and let rise somewhere warm for about an hour.
2. Meanwhile, prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high and the rack about 4 inches from the fire. When the dough has puffed up, transfer it to a well-floured surface and knead until soft and silky, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Cut the dough into 8 equally sized pieces and roll each one out until it’s about 6 inches in diameter; don’t worry about making these perfectly round, but try to keep them relatively even in thickness. Brush one side of the breads with olive oil and put as many on the grill, oiled side down, as will comfortably fit at one time. While the first side cooks, brush the side facing you with more oil; when the breads begin to brown and puff up, flip them. When the second side is nicely browned, remove from the grill and serve immediately.

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Grilled Clams with Lemon Ginger Butter

Okay, so I know that clams are probably not the first thing you think of when you get that urge to crank up the grill.  Me either...my mind goes right to burgers, or chicken, or (my fave!) grilled pizza.  But one day I happened across a recipe for grilled clams with lemon ginger butter and grilled bread, and I just couldn't look away.  Live dangerously, I thought, and I went out and bought me a couple of pounds of clams.

Now, you aren't actually putting the clams directly on the grill itself.  They are going to cook in one of those big disposable aluminum pans that you can get in the supermarket, and which you can toss after dinner, thereby saving you (or your Southern husband) from washing yet another dish.  But before we get to the clams, we need to discuss the lemon ginger butter.  Prepare yourself.

You take a 1/2 a stick of soft butter, and mix it up with some minced shallot, some chopped fresh parsley, a little lemon juice, some lemon peel, and some minced fresh ginger.  Add in a little salt and pepper.  Now take a few slices of French bread and spread a thin layer of this fabulous butter on one side.

Now crank your barbecue up to high and lay the clams in a single layer in your aluminum pan.  You may need two pans, which worked out great for me since my store sells them in sets of two.  It's like it was meant to be.

Put the pan on the grill, close the cover, and open it up about 8-10 minutes later.  The clams should now be opened up and cooked.  So far so good!  Scoop the clams out with a slotted spoon and pop them in a big serving bowl.  Your pan will have a nice amount of clam juice in it - this is good.  Very good.  Grab the rest of the lemon butter that didn't go onto the bread, add it to the pan, and put the pan back on the grill until it is all melted and wonderful.

Now you have your lovely cooked clams...

And your hot melted butter sauce...now pop the buttered bread on the grill and toast it until it is all wonderfully charred and crispy.

Now take the pans of lemon butter juice and pour it over the clams in the bowl.  All of it.  Go crazy.

I don't bother dividing the clams among separate plates - I just put the big bowl in the center of the table with the toasted bread, give everyone a plate with some toasted bread, put another bowl on the table for the empty shells, and say "Dig in!!"

And you thought the grill was just for burgers.  :)

Grilled Clams with Lemon Ginger Butter, from Epicurious

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 6 1/2-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
• 2 pounds Manila clams, scrubbed

1.Prepare barbecue (high heat). Using spatula, blend butter, minced shallot, minced fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, minced fresh ginger, and finely grated lemon peel in small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Thinly spread lemon-ginger butter on 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange clams in single layer in disposable aluminum pan. Place pan on grill, cover barbecue, and cook just until clams open, 8 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open).


2. Using slotted spoon, transfer grilled clams to 2 shallow bowls. Grill bread until slightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add remaining lemon-ginger butter to juices in pan; stir on grill until melted. Pour juices from pan over clams. Serve with bread.

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Turkey Hummus Sandwiches with Black Pepper Honey

Yep, this is definitely my Summer of the Sandwich.  And not just any sandwich...the open-faced sandwich. And not just any open-faced sandwich...open-faced sandwiches made with bread that has been toasted on the grill for that fabulous, just a tiny bit charred taste.  For some reason I've gotten fixated on them and they are showing up on my supper menu almost once a week. Not only is there the whole grilled bread thing going on, but there's nothing like the feeling of walking in the door at the end of the day and getting that merry Sandwiches-For-Dinner feeling...oh yes!

And in this particular case, it was another excuse to whirl up the millionth batch of that Five Minute Hummus I am also fixated on lately.  Hey, there could be worse vices to have, right?  And if you are not the hummus-whirling-up type, your favorite supermarket brand will work just fine.

So, once you have walked in the door and are all in a good mood due to it being Sandwich Night, here's the drill.  Slice up some nice thick slices of whatever hearty bread you like.  I like the sourdough bread at Panera...it's fresh and has that scrumptious sourdough tang to it.  Brush your bread with a little olive oil and pop it on the grilled just long enough to get those delicious char marks going.

Once it has cooled a little, slather on some hummus.  Don't be shy, slather it on thick.  Now drape some thin-sliced deli turkey on top...and here comes the best part, the part that takes this from regular sandwich status to Superstar Sandwich Status.  Put about 2 tablespoons of honey in a microwavable measuring cup and nuke just until it is melted - this probably won't take more than 10 seconds.  Now grind a generous amount of black pepper into it, swirl it around, and then drizzle it over your turkey sandwich.  The sweetness of the honey and the snap of the black pepper are going to make beautiful music with the rest of this sandwich.

Sandwich Night!  It makes you feel this good:



Almost, anyway!  Here's the recipe.

Turkey Hummus Sandwiches with Black Pepper Honey

• 4 slices hearty bread, your choice
• Olive oil
• 1 cup hummus
• 1/2 pound thin sliced turkey
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Fresh ground black pepper

1. Heat grill to medium high.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill until both sides are toasted to your liking.  Remove and cool slightly.

2. Spread each slice of bread with 1/4 cup hummus.  Divide turkey among sandwiches and lay on top of hummus.

3. Heat honey in microwavable measuring cup until liquid, about 10 seconds.  Grind a generous portion of black pepper into honey and swirl to mix.  Drizzle over sandwiches and serve.

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Grilled Chive Potatoes

I think this just might be the easiest way I've ever cooked potatoes, and with the possible exception of Aligot Potatoes (which are so insanely good there aren't even words to describe), these also might be the most scrumptious.  It almost doesn't seem fair, but it's true.

This is a great side dish to make when you have the grill cranked up anyway...say because you are making Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce....but it's also well worth firing up the grill even if whatever you are making to go with these babies is not something grilled.  They are that good.

Here's the scoop: you boil up some nice red-skinned potatoes.  Pick medium sized ones for this, not those teeny baby ones, because you don't want a single one to fall through the grill grates.  Boil for a 25 minutes or so, until they are tender.  Scoop them out of the water and cut them in half, and then brush them with a concoction of melted butter, chopped fresh chives and lemon peel.  Now pop them on the grill, cut side down, for about 10 minutes or until you get those gorgeous char marks. 

Now all you have left to do is drizzle the rest of that butter mixture over your potatoes and dig in.   You might forget to eat whatever else is on the plate due to the grilled chive potato goodness.  Here's the recipe!

Grilled Chive Potatoes, adapted from Epicurious

• 6 red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain. Cut potatoes in half; place cut side up on rimmed baking sheet.
2. Stir butter, chives, and lemon peel in medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. Brush some chive butter over potatoes.
3. Grill potatoes over medium high heat, cut side down, until cut side is crisp and brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Rewarm remaining chive butter. Transfer potatoes, cut side up, to platter. Drizzle with warm chive butter.

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Ham and Parmesan Sandwiches with Raspberry Jam

Things that are good to have:

1. Friends who go to Italy and bring you back giant pieces of incredible parmigiana cheese.  You know who you are, and I love you madly.

2. Jars of Stonewall Kitchen jam.  We've been over this before in previous posts, but it bears repeating.

If you have both of these things, you are halfway to a fabulous sandwich.  And while cheese that has been personally carried through Customs is the best-tasting of all, you can also get a lovely chunk of it at your local deli and it will be almost as good, and then you are still very close to the previously-mentioned fabulous sandwich.

Okay, now that we have that straight, here's what comes next.  Get a nice pile of very thin-sliced ham, and a loaf of sourdough bread.  Lately I have been sending the Southern husband to our local Panera, because let's face it, they make an AWESOME sourdough baguette, and I'm all about the path of least resistance on a Wednesday night.  Slice it on the diagonal in 1/2 inch slices (so that you get nice big slices), and brush both sides with olive oil.  Now comes one of the most critical parts of this sandwich, which is The Grilling Of The Bread.  Every summer I get completely fixated on something grill-wise (last year it was grilled buttermilk rosemary chicken and the summer before it was grilled pizza), and this summer, I am all about grilling bread.  There's something about that slightly charred grill taste that just makes my heart beat faster.  You ARE going to have that moment where you think, is this really worth turning on the grill?  Just to grill a few pieces of bread?

Trust me.  It is.

Once you have your bread all nice and crusty, you are five minutes from heaven.  Slather on some raspberry jam (or cherry, or strawberry.  Anything red is pretty much perfect.)  Layer on some thin-sliced ham, and then some parmesan that you have shaved with your handy vegetable peeler.  Hold it up to your nose and inhale deeply...sweet and salty and slightly grill-smelling, and then open wide and take a crunchy/salty/sweet bite.

My work is done here.  :)

Ham and Parmesan Sandwiches with Raspberry Jam

• Sourdough or other hearty bread, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
• Olive oil
• Raspberry jam (cherry and strawberry would also work fine!)
• Thin-sliced ham
• Parmesan cheese, shaved into thin pieces with a vegetable peeler

1. Heat grill to medium high.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill on both sides until slightly charred.
2. Spread bread with jam, and then layer on ham and shaved cheese.
3. Enjoy!!

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Low Country Boil Kabobs

One of the many, many advantages of being married to a Southern man is that you learn about the complete fabulousness of something called Low Country Boil.  It's also sometimes known as Frogmore Stew (based on the hometown of the National Guardsman that invented it).  The town of Frogmore was eliminated by the Postal Service and incorporated into the nearby Beaufort, and the name of the recipe officially changed to Low Country Boil.  This is your culinary history lesson of the day.

Anyway, the way this usually works is that you boil up baby potatoes with a seafood seasoning, and then add the sausage, the corn and then the shrimp as time rolls on so that everything is cooked up perfectly.  Then you drain the whole thing and dump it all onto a platter and let folks dig in...forks optional.  We always have this a few times during the summer, so when I saw this version that called for adding the grill into the mix, my antenna went up.  I always do love to shake up a recipe that I've made a hundred times before.

In this version, you still boil up the potatoes, but after they are done you thread them onto skewers with uncooked large shrimp, chunks of andouille sausage, and pieces of corn on the cob that you have cut into 1-2 inch sections.  Now, the most challenging part of this entire thing is getting the dang corn sections on to the skewers.  The center of corn cobs?  HARD.  So the Southern husband sprang into action...he took each one and hammered a nail into it and then pulled it out - making a perfect little hole for me to slip it right onto the skewer.  There is nothing that makes this man happier than the chance to use his workshop skills in the kitchen.

Once everything is on the skewer, you brush it with a mixture of melted butter and Old Bay seasoning.  Or, if you are like me and THOUGHT you had a container of Old Bay and then remembered too late that you threw it out in a frenzy of purging the spice cabinet of old spices, you can fake it by putting together the mixture I found by clicking here.

Now pop the skewers onto the grill for as long as it takes to cook the shrimp and lightly char the corn - 5-8 minutes should do it.  Now you not only have the wonderfulness of Low Country Boil, but with the added flavor of the grill. 

Life is very, very good.

Low Country Boil Kabobs, from Everyday Food

1/2 pound baby potatoes

2 ears of corn, cut into 1 inch sections

1/2 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1 inch rounds

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deviened

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for about 12 minutes or until tender.  Drain and cool slightly.

2. Thread skewers with potatoes, shrimp, corn and sausage.

3. Combine melted butter and Old Bay and brush onto skewers.  Grill on medium high for about 5-8 minutes or until shrimp is cooked and corn is lightly charred.  Serve immediately.

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Grilled Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak

If you hang in with this post long enough I promise that there is a pretty fabulous grilled steak recipe at the end, but in the meantime...the backstory!

At least once a year...sometimes more...the Southern husband and I head north to my favorite place on earth, otherwise known as Vermont.  Sometimes the teenager comes with us, even though there is no cell phone service whatsoever in our little neck of the Vermont hills.  (Believe me when i say that in the teenage world, there is no greater love for one's mama than going outside the zone of Verizon coverage.)

Other things that are not in our little corner of Vermont: Movie theaters.  Starbucks.  Kentucky Fried Chicken.  ATM's.   Etc.  They do have a lot of these though.

Here's the Southern husband scanning the area for a gas station that will take that little gizmo on his keychain that allows you to pay for your gas without actually taking out your wallet.

Nope.  As a matter of fact, finding ANY gas station is a wonderful thing.  It's one of the reasons I love the place.  We are Away From It All whenever we go up there.

So imagine my surprise when we stopped at the one local supermarket on the way to our cabin to pick up essentials (milk, eggs, Oreos) and discovered that they had put in a teeny tiny wine section.  We were so shocked and amazed that we automatically picked out a bottle, just to make sure we weren't dreaming.  And it instantly turned into our new favorite merlot...right there in the middle of Poultney, Vermont.

Once we got home, the Southern husband sprang into action and ordered a case of it, and ever since then it has been our merlot of choice.  So when the grill was back in service for the season, I pulled out this tried and true recipe to see if it was as good as a steak marinade as it is was in my wineglasss.

It was.  And so here you go (finally!)...this is a recipe that I have talked about before, but since it is one of my faves I am talking about it again with a little extra twist.  First,  grab a bottle of YOUR favorite merlot, and mix up 3/4 cup of it with some chopped fresh rosemary, some chopped onion,  some beef broth and a few spices.  Pour it all in a ziplock bag, add a flank steak and let it sit in the fridge while you make the grilled vegetable salad.

First you need some lettuce.  I grow my own in an AeroGarden and pretty soon it is going to need its own zip code, there's so much of it.  But I do have fresh fresh fresh lettuce whenever I need it.

Now gather up whatever veggies you have around that catch your fancy.  I had some frozen artichoke hearts that I thawed out...

(Okay, that's not a frozen artichoke heart, but it's the only artichoke picture I have, and there's an artichoke heart in there somewhere.)    The picture below IS the actual asparagus that I used...



...along with some cherry tomatoes that I cut in half.  Scatter them all on a cookie sheet that you have lined with foil and spray or drizzle them with a little olive oil.  Toss on a little salt and pepper and pop them in a 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

When they are done, set them aside to cool a little while you make the steak.  Send someone reliable outside to grill the steak, and while they are doing that, pour the marinade into a saucepan.   Add a little tomato paste and mustard and boil it up for about 5 minutes.  When the steak comes off the grill, let it sit for about 5 minutes and then slice it thinly across the grain.

Now!  Cover half of each plate with lettuce.  Spoon some nice roasted veggies on top.  I think they are just fine plain, but feel free to drizzle a little dressing on top if you like.  Lay some sliced steak on the other side of the plate and pour some of the merlot marinade sauce on top.

You are now in paradise.  Promise. 

Grilled Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak with Grilled Vegetable Salad, steak recipe from Cooking Light

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
• 3/4 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

• lettuce
• your choice of vegetables to grill
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking tray with foil and lay veggies in a single layer.  Spray or mix with a little olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Roast for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and let cool.
3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.   Heat grill to high and cook steak  6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices; keep warm.
4. While steak cooks, combine reserved marinade, tomato paste, and mustard in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 7 minutes).
5. Arrange grilled veggies over lettuce on each plate.  Place sliced steak alongside veggies, pouring a little merlot sauce over the top.

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Spiked Cheeseburgers

It was a happy, happy day last week, because for the first time since this long, hard, relentless winter started one billion years ago, it was actually warm enough to crank up the old grill and cook some cheeseburgers.  The Southern husband was happy.  The teenager was happy.  The dog was deliriously happy, because she is convinced that if she waits long enough, one day someone is going to grill her a cheeseburger instead of just dumping another cup of kibble into her dish.  A dog can dream...

Anyway.  This momentous occasion seemed to call for something other than your normal wonderful cheeseburger.  Something adventurous.  Something celebratory.  Something involving a little, well, alcohol.  Take another look at that picture up top...see that scrumptious sauce oozing down the burger?  Let's just say that is special sauce.  Very special.  As in, contains just the right hit of vodka in it.

Still with me?  Here's what happens:  you mix up some ketchup, some mayo, a little mustard, and a little roasted garlic.  And then you add...wait for it...about 4-5 tablespoons of vodka.  (If you are a responsible parent like me, you hold back some of the sauce in a separate dish for your underage teenager.  More spiked-ness for the old folks).

Now grill up those burgers however you like 'em, and don't forget to toast the buns.  (Note: you can definitely add in the cheese the way you usually do, but I like to take the top bun after it is toasted, lay the cheese on it and nuke it for about 20 seconds, so the cheese is adhering to the bun and not the burger.  But you be you, cheese-wise.)

 

  When that's all done, toss a few pickles on the bottom of the bun, lay the burger on them, and put a generous amount of sauce on top.  This is not the time to be stingy with the sauce.  Top bun over the whole thing, and dig in.  Be very happy.  Happier than a cheeseburger usually makes you. 

 

Happy.

Spiked Cheeseburgers, adapted from Marc Murphy's recipe

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tps roasted garlic
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 5 tablespoons vodka

• 2 1/2/ pounds ground beef
• 6 hamburger rolls
• 6 slices cheddar cheese
• sliced pickles

1. Mix mayo, mustard, garlic, ketchup and vodka together and mix well.  Set aside.

2. Form beef into 6 patties and salt and pepper them. Grill to your liking, adding cheese at the last minute to melt.  Toast the rolls during the last minutes of grilling.

3. Place several pickles on the bottom of each roll, top with burger, and spread about 2 tablespoons of sauce on each burger.  Place top of bun over all and serve at once.

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Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on the Actual Grill...and Hildene!

That sandwich up there is a grilled Harvarti cheese and tomato sandwich made on the outside grill. Not fried inside in a pan, not toasted in the oven....that sandwich can proudly call itself an honest to goodness GRILLED cheese sandwich. I'm not sure why it never occurred to me before that grilled cheese sandwiches might taste pretty awesome when made on the actual grill, but I finally saw the light, and what a difference! But I will get back to that sandwich later, because what I REALLY want to talk about is the cheese inside of it.

Now, a few months ago I got a special delivery of this scrumptious goat cheese being made at a new cheese-making facility up in Manchester, Vermont. It was not even being sold yet - I got a special sneak preview. And man, was it good.

Smooth and creamy and perfect on everything from elaborate pasta dishes to plain old crackers.

I emailed this place to rave about it, and they invited me to come up and have a look at their operation the next time I was in Vermont...which is how I got the behind the scenes tour of the fabulous cheese-making area at the historic Hildene Lincoln Family residence. Hildene has been around for ages and you can tour the beautiful historic home of Robert Todd Lincoln and walk through the gorgeous gardens, but their new cheesemaking facility is brand-new.

Our first stop was inside that beautiful building, which was clean as a whistle and full of these...

That, my friends, is a Nubian goat - floppy ears, brown eyes and totally adorable. And the source of the milk that makes the cheese.

The inside was big and airy with lots of room for the goats to relax and play, and the doors opened up onto big fenced areas on the grounds where they were roaming in and out.

Hi honeybunch! Want to come home with me?

I learned very quickly that the old line about goats being willing to eat anything was actually completely true. While I was taking that picture of the sweet little black and tan goat above, her buddy was eating the hem of my shorts. They will also apparently eat metal chains...

And Silly Bands.

While I was making friends in the big building, the Southern husband took a look in this smaller barn across the path.

Now let me explain the next few pictures (and please forgive the wonky color - there was no, and I mean NO light in there. My Nikon was screaming for mercy). Anyway, there is a series of openings in the back and side walls of this barn, just big enough for the goats to stick their cute little heads in from the outside. I'm guessing it has something to do with feeding them their dinner, because when we went inside, a whole bunch of them immediately popped their heads in the openings.

Don't they look like they think a snack is on the way? They were especially interested in the teenager. When she was behind me, they looked at her. When she moved to the side, they looked at her.

I swear that they were smiling at us.

I loved their names, too. Cinnamon Bun the Goat.

And I also adored this sign. Goats-Busters!!!

Back in the big building, we took a look at the cheese-making rooms, including this little piece of heaven where the finished cheese is just sitting here waiting for me.

They still have the delicious chevre goat cheese that I remembered from before, and this time they also had a lovely havarti, all packaged up in this adorable wrapping.

By the end, the Southern husband was pondering getting a goat farm of his own. I was still wondering if I could sneak Cinnamon Bun out in my camera bag.

So next time you are in Southern Vermont, stop by beautiful Hildene - tour the house and the gardens, and make sure you stop by and say hello to the friendly goats. And whatever you do, don't leave without picking up some of their AMAZING cheese.

The end. (Except for the recipe).

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on the Actual Grill!

• 2 slices bread - any substantial bread will do, but regular sandwich bread will be too soft
• Sliced havarti cheese
• Thinly sliced tomato
• Olive oil
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Heat grill to medium. Assemble sandwiches by layering cheese, then tomato, then another layer of cheese.

2. Brush outside of bread with olive oil and grind pepper on top.

3. Place sandwich on grill and weight down with something heavy (a brick wrapped in foil, a heavy frying pan or one of those big cans of tomatoes will all work!

4. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve at once.

Click here for printable recipe

Steak Skewers with Blue Cheese Dip

This is one of those great recipes that combines super-easy-to-make with super-fun-to-eat.  I don't know about you, but for me, everything is better when it comes on a skewer.  (Corn dog, anyone?  Anyone?) This one involves threading very thin slices of flank steak onto wooden skewers.  Make sure you soak the skewers really well in water before you start assembling them.  There is nothing sadder than watching your skewer go up in flames.

Anyway, once your steak skewers are assembled, give them a good seasoning with balsamic vinegar, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, and lay them on the grill.  It will take you only a few minutes to cook up these babies, depending on how rare or well-done you like them, and that's it!  The blue cheese dip comes straight out of whatever your favorite fancy refrigerated blue cheese dressing is - I like Marie's Blue Cheese dressing which is usually in the produce section of my supermarket.  Grind a little more pepper into the dressing, sprinkle some fresh parsley over the whole thing, and dinner is served.  Or lunch.  Or a really serious snack....

Steak Skewers with Blue Cheese Dip, adapted from Real Simple

• 1/2 pound flank steak
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup good quality blue cheese dressing
• Chopped parsley
• 16 wooden skewers, thoroughly soaked in water

1. Freeze steak for about 10 minutes (this makes it easier to cut).  Slice very thinly against the grain into strips and thread onto soaked skewers

2. Brush with vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

3. Grill over medium high heat until cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side.  

4. Put dressing in a small bowl and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve at once.

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Honey Chicken Skewers

We are heading scandalously fast towards the end of summer, and so I am sending the Southern husband out to the grill at every available opportunity.  I'm not sure why, since he is perfectly wonderful about grilling in a snowstorm.

But nevertheless, grilling just isn't the same when it's not summertime, so our grill is getting a lot of action.  This recipe is a fun, eat-with-your-hands deal that is ready in absolutely no time.  You need to pick yourself up a packet of those thin wooden skewers, and be sure to give them a good soaking in water before you put the chicken strips on them.  As you can see from the picture, even soaking wet they still got a little charred.  Which is fine - you just want them to hold together for the most important part, which is the EATING.

But before you get to the eating there is the making.  You cut up chicken breasts into strips and thread them on to your skewers.  Fire up the grill and cook them for about 3-4 minutes, then flip 'em over and baste them with a quick sauce of ketchup, honey and soy sauce...and that's it!  I put a few ears of corn on the grill alongside the skewers and 10 minutes later we were digging in.  So keep that grill going as long as you can....

Honey Chicken Skewers, adapted from Real Simple

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt and pepper
• canola oil, for the grill
• 6 ears corn, shucked
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside. 

2. Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

3. Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking. 

4. Meanwhile, grill the corn, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Serve with the chicken. 

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Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Okay, so this is the time of year I start to get panicky about my herbs. I have these great whiskey barrels right outside my kitchen door, and every Mother's Day weekend I plant them full of basil and rosemary and parsley and thyme and sage and tarragon. They are fabulous in June, and wonderful in May. Around mid-August, though, they start getting ornery. Some of them are struggling in the heat, and some of them are getting tall and woody and tough-looking. It's a sure sign that the summer is slowly working its way towards fall, and I go into herb-panic, trying to use 'em or lose'em before that first frost hits.



I know, it's 98 degrees outside and I am worrying about frost, but that's just the kind of calm, laid-back person I am.

Anyway, this recipe is a great way to match up steak cooked on the grill (yumyumyum) with some of those fresh herbs made into a quick and easy sauce that also has a fun name.   Chimichurri sauce - say THAT three times fast.   Chimichurri is a snap to make - you drop a handful of parsley into your trusty food processor or blender, add some garlic, some red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt.  Push the button and thirty seconds later you have a fresh and delicious sauce with just a little bite to it.  Even the Southern husband, who is a card-carrying member of the Steak Is Perfectly Fine Without Any Annoying Sauce On It Club loved this.  So much so that when I was putting the leftover steak away, he made sure that I put the leftover sauce on top of it.  That's when I knew for dang sure I had a hit on my hands.

So, go use those herbs before the snow flies.

Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

• One flank steak
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil (more as needed)

1. Season steak with salt and pepper and grill to your liking, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

2. While steak is resting after being grilled, make chimichurra sauce: add all ingredients except olive oil to food processor and process until parsley and garlic are well-chopped.  Add olive oil in a steady stream through processor tube until the sauce is a nice thick consistency.

3. Slice steak against the grain, and garnish with sauce.

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