things you should be grilling but aren’t

It’s that time again! Dust off the grill and fire up the smoker because summertime grilling is here. BBQing has always been considered a carnivorous sport but charring and caramelizing changes the essential flavors and textures of many fruits and vegetables and should be in your skills arsenal. Recipes below are all things you should be grilling but aren’t.

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THINGS YOU AREN’T GRILLING BUT SHOULD …MEMORIAL DAY BBQ MAKEOVER

All recipes serve six

GRILLED ESQUITES CORN SALAD

NOTE: Esquites is a Mexican snack or antojito and the word derives from the Nahuatl word izquitl which means toasted corn. Generally Esquites is from mature corn which is first boiled with epazote and then fried with chilies and onions. The texture is crunchy and salty and generally served with accompaniments of chile powder, hot sauce and cotijo cheese. On the Delmarva Peninsula we have sweeter corn varieties and I like to simply blanch and grill.

2 TB + 2 TB organic safflower oil

½ + ½ tsp cumin

6 ears sweet white or bicolor corn

4-6 leaves fresh epazote* (optional)

3-4 small baby onions minced*

1 large bunch fresh arugula*

1-2 Jalapeno or Fresno chilies minced*

4 oz vegan feta cheese (optional)

3 tablespoons Just Mayo

4 tablespoons to ½ cup cilantro leaves*

½ tablespoon Pico de Gallo chili powder or favorite hot sauce

Juice from two limes

½-1 tsp freshly ground sea salt

Boil a pot of hot water with epazote leaves and blanch corn for no more than 1 minute or skip this step entirely and just grill raw corn if using fresh sweet corn. Toss entire corn cob with ½ safflower oil and ½ cumin. Heat a cast iron grill pan until smoking. Grill corn with hash marks on both sides and set aside to cool. Throw onions and sliced chilies on grill pan till slightly charred and set aside or chop and use fresh.

Cut off corn kernels and ‘milk’ with the back of your knife and then whisk lime juice, ½ safflower, Just mayo, seasonings and toss all the ingredients together.

*I get my fresh arugula and other produce from Fox Briar Farm. You can visit Fox Briar Farm at www.foxbriarfarm.net or at the Rehoboth Beach and Historic Lewes Farmers Markets.

VEGAN FETA (optional)

2 blocks firm organic tofu packed in water and frozen over night

½ cup yellow miso

½ cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp white pepper

½ tsp herbal sea salt or Herbamare*

Put tofu in package into freezer overnight. Thaw tofu and cut into ½ inch squares. Put in pot of water and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Drain thoroughly. Whisk remaining ingredients and pour over tofu. Chill overnight to allow flavors to meld. Keeps for at least a week in refrigerator. *available on Amazon or at Good Earth Markets in Delaware

GRILLED WATERMELON GAZPACHO

½ medium watermelon, sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 TB rice wine vinegar

¼ cup white tequila or vodka

1 peeled and seeded cucumber

3 TB sliced basil or cilantro
1 purple or yellow or orange bell pepper  diced
2 baby onions diced
1 whole lemon juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Slice the watermelon in ¾ to 1 inch thick slices and make sure to remove all the seeds. Seedless watermelons are not generally as sweet, so I use the seeded ones and just remove the seeds. Baste both sides of watermelon slices with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Put on grill to medium high and place slices on grill just till sear marks show but don’t worry about them being pretty. Flip over and do the same on the other side. Remove rind and puree watermelon flesh and half of the cucumber. Whisk  together vinegar, alcohol, lemon juice, salt, white pepper and watermelon puree.

Finely dice baby onions, pepper and other half of cucumber and add into watermelon mixture. Check seasonings and add more salt if needed.  Chill for at least two hours. Top with basil or cilantro and drizzle with more tequila.

GRILLED AVOCADO and TEQUILA CITRUS BBQ TEMPHE

TEQUILA CITRUS

4 cups Orange juice

3 canned Chipotle chilies (can adjust upward or downward depending on heat preferences)

1 tsp chili powder *optional

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 can of Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 roasted or caramelized sweet red or yellow onion

2 cinnamon sticks or ¼ tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup organic Agave Nectar

1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes

1 cup tequila or vodka

Put all ingredients in a pot and let simmer till reduced by at least half.

AVOCADO ONIONS & TEMPHE

3 avocadoes

2 lbs temphe

3 sliced sweet red onions

Construct little red neck smoker as per Facebook live instructions on 5/24 at 2pm.

Smoke onions, avocado and temphe and when finished baste with glaze. Serve with taco fixings like tortillas, lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, etc. Everyone has their favorites!

CREMA

3 TB Just mayo

2 TB apple cider vinegar

whisk together

GRILLED PINEAPPLE AND CANTALOUPE COCONUT ICE CREAM

CANTALOUPE COCONUT ICE CREAM

I large cantaloupe, peeled and seeded

1 lemon, juiced

3 cups coconut cream

¾ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Pinch salt

1 TB finely diced Thai basil (optional)

½ TB finely diced lemongrass (optional)

Chill bowl of ice cream maker overnight! Mash cantaloupe or puree in food processor with lemon juice. Set a colander over a bowl to strain, reserving juice. Whisk together coconut cream, vanilla, salt and sugar. When sugar is incorporated whisk in juice from cantaloupe and being freezing according to manufacturer’s instructions. When about at soft serve stage add in cantaloupe. Continue to freeze.

GRILLED PINEAPPLE

1 large ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced

Safflower oil

White balsamic or rice wine vinegar

Agave nectar

Brush pineapple slices liberally with oil and vinegar. Grill till hash marks form on both sides then brush with agave nectar. Close grill top and reduce heat to low for 5-10 minutes.

SHOPPING LIST

PANTRY (items you probably have but will need if you don’t)

Olive oil

Safflower oil

Tequila or Vodka

Rice wine vinegar

Sea salt flakes

Cumin

White pepper

Pico de Gallo powder or favorite hot sauce

Apple cider vinegar

Dried oregano

Cinnamon sticks or cinnamon

Agave nectar

Chili powder

Sugar

Vanilla

PRODUCE

6 ears of sweet Corn

Fresh epazote leaves or dried (optional)

Baby onions

Arugula

Sweet onions

Red onions

Avocadoes

Cilantro

Limes

Lemons

Cucumber

bell pepper (any color but red or green)

Hot chiles

Watermelon

Avocadoes

Cantaloupe

Pineapple

OTHER

2 blocks firm tofu

2 lbs temphe (Light Life is my favorite brand)

Just mayo

Canned chipotle chiles

Fire roasted tomatoes

Tortillas

Orange juice

Coconut cream (in dairy section equivalent to vegan cream not canned coconut milk)

Taco fixings you like