It’s the calendar end-of-the-summer moment even though the temperatures tell us something completely different. It’s almost time to start squirreling away the acorns, can the tomatoes, clean the gutters and haul the boat out for the last time. Then again, you have a three-day weekend, nowhere to go, and a perfectly good back yard that encourages social distancing. It is time for you to have an end-of-summer blowout with the half dozen people in your quarantine pod. Let’s cook all those dishes that we never have got around to this summer and have some great Instagram-envy-inducing moments.
Crab fest! Hooray. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/how-to-throw-the-perfect-crab-feast/
Kabobs. Here are dozens of ideas: https://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/easy-grilled-kabobs-recipe
Baby back ribs. Stay home. Stay safe! https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/the-best-baby-back-ribs-1241297
Lobster. And lobster rolls. Go to the source: https://lobsterfrommaine.com/steaming-lobster/
Grilled Shrimp. Variety is the spice of grilling shrimp: https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-best-grilled-shrimp-recipes-333576
Grilled pizza. We stick to the basics, because we value our finger prints, but you can get very fancy if you wish. https://www.brit.co/grilled-pizza-recipes/
Grilled corn. We usually just wrap the ears of corn in aluminum foil, with a couple of pats of butter and a handful of Maldon salt, but we are set in our ways. Feel free to experiment: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-buttered-grilled-corn
Grilled potatoes. Thanks, Martha! https://www.marthastewart.com/355490/grilled-potato-wedges
Grilled asparagus. You can’t go wrong with Alice Waters and garlic: https://www.mountainfeed.com/blogs/learn/homemade-aioli
Pesto. Shame on you. Get cracking: https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/basil-pesto
Be slightly au courant. Watermelon Frosé: https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a32702671/mason-jar-watermelon-frose/
Pina coladas. It’s the last weekend of summer. It’s your last chance: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-pina-colada
Key Lime Pie. This is the best never-fail Key Lime Pie recipe we have ever found, and yet, we haven’t made one this year. Shocking. Look in the bottled lemon juice section of the grocery store. Buy a graham cracker crust. Make good whipped cream. You will never regret the calories. Trust me: https://keylimejuice.com/nellie-joes-key-lime-pie/
S’mores. Forget the campfire, and do them on the grill: https://www.grubstreet.com/2020/09/adam-platt-on-smores.html?
Goodbye, Summer!
“Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.”
― Carl Sandburg
Robert Hall says
Shrimp on the Barbie, American Style
2 pounds shrimp, (jumbo)
Remove shells but leave on tail
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 cup chili sauce, more or less, to taste.
Your favorite heat
Wash shrimp and cut lengthwise along the back, almost in half (butterfly). Place shrimp in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and pour on the shrimp, stirring completely (I use my hands in order to spread the sauce evenly on each shrimp half). Marinate the shrimp in the refrigerator, 2-3 hours for extra large shrimp or 3-4 hours for jumbo shrimp.
Wait until the last minute before serving, to cook. Place each shrimp half, flesh side up, on large cookie sheets. Slide a big spatula underneath several shrimp and place them shell side down on a hot grill* and cook ‘till just done, without turning. Fill up a clean bowl with the cooked shrimp and serve immediately with a cold pasta salad, fresh corn on the cob, and lots of garlic bread. This dish demands an Alsatian wine such as a Pinot Blanc, a Gewürztraminer or a classic dry Rosé.
For an extra special dinner, cut pork tenderloins into ½ inch slices, marinate in additional barbecue sauce, and cook over a very hot grill. Change quantities of shrimp and sauce accordingly. (Copy the Chinese chefs-–don’t cook more, just add another dish).
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