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Can you believe that it is already August? The summer goes by so fast! But there is still time to get out and enjoy
those beautiful evenings. There is nothing better than barbequing to do that. Here is the challenge that I threw at a group
of friends for dinner one night. Everything
on the menu must come off of the BBQ. We
had cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, salad, entrée and even dessert; all off the
grill.
Of course, we started with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The cocktail was a grilled peach and bourbon
splash with a charred oak swizzle stick.
Cocktails are no longer made with just your simple fresh fruit juices
and sodas; there is a new area of flavors coming from shrubs and tinctures. A shrub is a fruit and vinegar combination
that is sweetened and can also be used to make sodas by adding seltzer. A tincture is an alcohol extract from an
herb. I choose to make something like a
shrub, although I omitted the vinegar for this particular recipe. First
grilling my peaches on the BBQ, and then combining with lemon juice, sugar and
water. Simmer to release the flavors
then stain to get just the liquid.
Grilled Peach “Shrub”
 |
| Grilled Peach and Bourbon Splash |
5 peaches, split in half and pitted
1 cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cup water
Turn your barbeque up to high heat and allow to heat
thoroughly; the grates need to be hot for the peaches not to stick. Place the peaches on the grill, and cook
until all sides are well marked (some burn is ok) and the peach is soft. Then transfer them to a cooking vessel add
the other ingredients, bring to a simmer.
Mash the fruit when tender; I used a potato masher. Continue to simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes,
until the desired flavor. Then strain
and chill.
Grilled Peach &
Bourbon Splash
1 shot Bourbon
2 shots peach shrub
Club Soda to finish
Served over ice
Shake it well and serve over ice, with a slice of grilled
peach on the charred oak swizzle stick for garnish. It was quite good, but I think I’ll need to
try it with a real shrub; I think a little acidity from the vinegar would pair
well.
The hors d’oeuvre of the night was a lot of fun too. Perfect match for the bourbon cocktail!
Grilled bacon wrapped onion rings! You’ve
got to live Pinterest.
Bacon Onion Rings
2 lbs bacon - thinner strips 16-20 pieces per pound
2 or 3 large onions
2 Tbl or more Sriracha
Carefully clean the onions, careful not to cut through the
rings. Then cut the onions into half to
three quart inch slices. Break apart to
create the rings, leaving 2 ti 3 layers together. Brush well with Sriracha. Wrap each ring with 2 to 3 slices of bacon,
varying by the size of ring as appropriate.
Use a bamboo skewer to hold the bacon in place and the rings together. Then BBQ on low, being careful since the
bacon can splatter and give you flame ups.
Grill for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, you want the bacon
to be very crisp, but not burnt. Serve with a Sriracha mayonnaise. So, is
wrapping something in bacon healthier than battering and deep frying it? Not really the point of this, but
interesting. By the way, most people
will only eat one or two of these; they are 2 to 3 pieces of bacon each.
Our salad course was a grilled romaine with lemon and parmesan.
Yes, you can put lettuce on the BBQ.
Romaine heads work well, the structure allows you to cut the head in
half lengthwise and have all of the leave stay attached. Brush lightly with olive oil, place cut side
down on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
This will just lightly grill the edges and begin to wilt the
center. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice
and sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese, yum.
Our entree of the night was grilled sausages (thank you Thistle
Meats). We tried their mild Italian and
a fresh lamb sausage, which were both excellent. Thistle Meats is a premium specialty butcher
featuring locally sourced meats (and you can also get a very good sandwich
there too). They are located at 160
Petaluma Boulevard North, right in the first block of downtown.
How to finish off the evening with a grilled dessert? No not s’mores, but angel food cake. Cut the angel food cake into individual
serving sizes, turning the grill down to low and toasting each slice. The flavor was like fresh toasted marshmallow
and pound cake. Then top with strawberries
and whipped cream.
