Obviously We're Adults, We Have a Grill

Rachel here.

This post was planned to mark our very first grill purchase. Strapped for cash these days while I transition from school to work, we waited out our local Target and victoriously snagged a grill the other day for half-price. YUP--HALF. We waited them out and the arrival of our new grill onto our little back patio was all the sweeter for it. Of course, we were itching to get cooking.

I didn't purchase briquettes when I picked up the grill, fantasizing that John would be that spectacular combination of persnickety and salt of the earth that he sometimes offers up. He didn't have strong feelings about the charcoal, though, so today I stopped and picked up some standard stuff while running errands. He promised to develop feelings about what he's grilling over as the summer progresses. Obviously, we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, any suggestions?

Tonight was supposed to be the christening of our grill. Chicken kabobs with apricots, onion and zucchini (and chicken marinated in jerk seasoning, olive oil and lime juice) were on the menu, as was grilled asparagus. To say I was excited is probably an understatement. I was more like a kid who'd just found out Christmas just might pop up at the end of June this year. One of my absolute favorite things about being alive is grilling and sitting outside. For the first time in my adult life we have both the space and the equipment. We've got the grill (did I mention that already?), and Adirondack chairs, and strung white lights through the trees. We've got a little table and a patio and a nice stretch of grass with a little garden doing its darndest to grow. We've got it going on this summer, as far as I'm concerned. And tonight was supposed to be the moment it all finally came together.

Except it rained. From ten o'clock this morning on, the entire day has been relentlessly drenched. If you don't live in California you probably figure this is standard summer weather. But not us, not here. We're only supposed to get rain 6 months of the year. The other 6 are supposed to be gloriously and reliably dry. Summer falls in the dry 6, in case you were at all uncertain.

And so the chicken will stew in its juices a little bit longer, until tomorrow night. If it's raining then, I'm handing John a raincoat and umbrella and telling him I can't wait for dinner.

Marinades

Rachel here: Oh, summer. We've had an abnormally cool and grey summer here in the Bay Area with the heat finally arriving this week as we begin to consider the start of fall. This has left me and my fellow Bay Area dwellers scrambling to soak up these summery days before they disappear into the rain and fog that dominates...well...the rest of the year. Anyway, nothing is more summery than grilling and grilling is often best when done with marinaded food. Below you'll find a veggie marinade of my mom's followed by a chicken marinade of mine. What's one of your favorite marinades?


Janet here: As the part of this duo who is actually based in a part of the country where winters are, um, long and, depending on my feelings, challenging and depressing, I can say that I am not totally pumped to be even suggesingt summer is coming to an end. However, wonderful autumn, in particular fabulous October — the best month of the year — is on its way so I guess I don't have to get depressed yet.

Anyway here is a marinade I whipped up for grilling some veggies this past weekend. I did summer squash and onions, and it was mighty tasty. The key is to marinate long enough.

Veggie Marinade

ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup diced tomato
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

method
Mix the marinade ingredients together. Place in a large plastic zip bag. Add whatever veggies you want to skewer on kabobs for the grill. Marinate at least one hour; the longer the better up to 24 hours. Skewer the veggies and toss the leftover marinade.

Chicken Marinade

ingredients
3 T. honey
1 T. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper
1/2 c. olive oil

method
Whisk ingredients together. Add 6 to 8 drumsticks (depending on size). Let marinate in refrigerator for several hours before grilling. Yum!

When You Have Lemons....

Janet here: It's hot, hot, hot again on the East Coast and the idea of turning on an oven is pretty much a non-starter for me. While I would like to believe everyone in my family would just eat this incredible blue cheese cole slaw for dinner (click here for recipe), in fact I do have to serve up something else. This lemon chicken, adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, is mighty tasty as well as being a good excuse to serve the cole slaw. It does require planning ahead a little bit — you have to marinate the chicken overnight — but then you can send someone else outside to grill the chicken while you stand by the fan and stay cool!

Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad
serves 4

ingredients
1 pound grilled lemon chicken, sliced (see below)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups of whatever raw veggies you like: snap peas, red and yellow peppers, carrots snow peas all work well
1/2 lemon thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Chicken
2 lemons juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pound boneless chicken breasts

method
Marinate the chicken overnight. Then grill and chill it. Then mix it with the rest and chill some more. Serve over lettuce.

Rachel here: Lemon, chicken and salad with chicken are some of my absolute favorite things. It hasn't been feeling very summery here as of late, though, plus M's been sick (sickness never feels summery) so I'm filing this recipe to try once it feels a little more in sync with where we are. Summer really kicks in much later here and I know that once it does I'll be trolling through my mom's recent posts for ways to navigate the hot kitchen.