Jul 13, 2012
Honestly, I have nothing against vegetables. Some of them are good friends of mine, as you'll see in this week's recipes!
Supercharged Grilled Corn on the Cob with Savory
Butters
Allow
one whole cob per guest
Almost
nothing goes better with grilled or barbecued meat than good old
corn on the cob, and it’s so easy on the grill. It’s also easy to
do a little bit more to give it an extra jolt of buttery
flavor.
1
unshucked ear of corn per guest
savory
butter or butters
kosher
salt
Soak
the whole, unshucked corn in cold water for an hour. Prepare your
grill for direct high heat. Remove the corn from the water and
place it on the grill. Cook it for about half an hour, turning it
regularly. Don’t worry if the husks turn brown or black—the corn
inside will be protected. Remove it from the grill, let it cool
enough that you can handle it, remove the husks, and serve the corn
with herbed butter and kosher salt. (If you want a more rustic,
charred look and flavor, husk the corn cobs before cooking them,
then grill them naked for 10–15 minutes, watching to make sure they
char but don’t burn.)
Barbecue Secret
Roasted corn is excellent
with plain soft butter and a sprinkling of a simple rub consisting
of one part kosher salt and one part ancho chile powder.
Barbecue Secret
If you feel like fussing a
little, you can bend the husk back to one end of each cooked corn
cob and tie the leaves together with a bit of twine for a handy
corn cob holder.
Flavored Butters for all Occasions
Once
you’ve made any of these savory butters you’ll always want to keep
some in the freezer. Brought to room temperature, they’re
incredible on roasted corn on the cob or slathered on cornbread,
and a pat of flavored butter on a freshly grilled steak or fish
fillet is heavenly. You can even use one of these as a sautéing
butter for thinly sliced mushrooms or scrambled eggs, or toss one
with some cooked noodles for a quick, easy side.
Mediterranean Butter
4 Tbsp | 50 mL finely
chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
4 Tbsp
| 50 mL finely chopped combination of fresh dill,
basil,
or mint (or any combination of fresh herbs—try chervil,
tarragon,
sage, rosemary, etc.)
1 lb |
500 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
kosher
salt to taste
Red Pepper Butter
1 red bell pepper, roasted,
peeled, seeded, and
coarsely
chopped
1/2 lb
| 250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp |
5 mL sweet paprika
kosher
salt to taste
Garlic Chive Butter
4 cloves garlic, put
through a garlic press
(or 8
cloves roasted garlic, squeezed out of their skins)
2 Tbsp
| 25 mL finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 lb
| 250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
kosher
salt to taste
Gorgonzola Butter
3/4 cup | 175 mL Gorgonzola
cheese
1/4 lb
| 125 g unsalted butter at
room
temperature
1 tsp |
5 mL fresh lemon juice
kosher
salt to taste
Cut the
butter into cubes and place them in a food processor. Add the
flavoring ingredients and whiz the mixture until it’s thoroughly
blended, stopping to scrape down the stuff that sticks to the sides
of the food processor as needed. If you’re serving the butter
right away with corn, or on a piece of grilled meat, just place it
in a small bowl and serve it.
If you want to store it, use a spatula to transfer the butter onto
a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a rough
cylinder. Fold the wrap around the butter and shape it into an even
tube about 11⁄2 inches | 4 cm in diameter. Twist the ends so the
tube is sealed and tight, and fasten both ends with a twist-tie.
Refrigerate or freeze the butter until you need it. To serve, slice
off discs of it. Thaw it a while before dressing steaks or corn
with it, or use it still frozen to stuff inside a
burger.
Grilled Eggplant with Hazelnut Oil and Marjoram
Although this has a couple of relatively obscure
ingredients, it’s dead simple to make, and extremely
delicious.
Makes 2
servings as a side, or enough to add to a salad
1
large, firm eggplant (the big round kind)
Toasted
hazelnut oil
Sea
salt or kosher salt
Crushed
chili flakes
Dried
marjoram
Olive
oil
1 fresh
lemon
Prepare
your grill for high direct cooking. Peel the eggplant and slice it
into ¾ -inch rounds. With a basting bruch, paint it with a coating
of hazelnut oil. Sprinkle on both sides with salt, chili flakes and
marjoram. Let the slices sit for a few minutes. Place the eggplant
slices on the cooking grate, close the grill and immediately turn
the heat down to low. Cook for three or four minutes, turn, and
cook for another few minutes until the eggplant has nice grill
marks and has softened. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately
with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Also
great at room temperature. Serve as a side with grilled Italian
sausages.
Grilled Vegetable Platter
Makes
10 to 20 servings, depending what else you’ve got on the
grill
There’s
almost nothing as boring as a bunch of raw celery, carrots,
radishes, and broccoli florets on a plate with a bowl of seasoned
yogurt in the middle. Add some excitement to veggies by grilling
them and serving them with a couple of interesting dips. The key
here is to not overdo the vegetables. Each vegetable cooks a little
differently—zucchini and asparagus cook the fastest and raw sweet
potatoes take the longest to grill. This recipe is pretty elaborate
and is designed for when you’re entertaining. For everyday cooking,
just grill one or two kinds of veggies and they’re ready in
minutes. For a party, put out this platter as an appetizer,
followed by quesadillas and perhaps some kebabs. Grilled veggies
are delicious on their own, but go even better with a nice dip,
like a flavored mayo (see recipes below). They’re also great tossed
into a green salad or served as a side with grilled meat or fish.
To add more flavor, before grilling toss them with some dried or
fresh chopped herbs like rosemary, oregano, or basil.
20
nugget potatoes, skins on
20
cauliflower florets (about 1 head of cauliflower)
4 sweet
potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds 1/2 inch | 1 cm
thick
2 red
bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 2-inch | 5 cm strips
2
yellow bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 2-inch | 5 cm
strips
2 green
bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 2-inch | 5 cm strips
2
bunches fresh asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
4
zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch | 1 cm slabs
20
whole ripe cherry tomatoes
1 cup |
250 mL extra virgin olive oil
kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 fresh
lemons, cut into wedges
Bring
the potatoes to a boil in a large pot of cold water over high heat.
Turn down the heat and
simmer
them for 10 minutes, adding the cauliflower florets when you have 5
minutes to go. Remove the vegetables from the pot and cool the
potatoes and cauliflower in a bowl of cold water. Drain them again
and set them aside.
Preheat your charcoal or gas grill for medium direct
heat.
Put all the vegetables in a large bowl, in batches if necessary,
and toss them with the extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and
freshly ground pepper, and herbs, if desired. Grill the vegetables
over high direct heat, starting with the sweet potatoes, potatoes,
and cauliflower, turning them often. Grill the most tender
vegetables last, taking care not to overcook the asparagus,
zucchini, and cherry tomatoes (which really only need to be heated
through).
Arrange all the grilled vegetables on a big platter, drizzle them
with a little more oil, garnish the platter with lemon wedges, and
serve the vegetables immediately. You can also make this an hour or
two ahead of time and serve the vegetables at room
temperature.
Barbecue Secret
You can grill almost any vegetable, in
any quantity, simply by tossing the veggies in olive
oil,
sprinkling
them with salt, and putting them on a hot grill. The more robust
the vegetable, the longer the cooking time. The more you grill, the
better you’ll get!
Doctored mayonnaise
I love
plain old mayo—in sandwiches, as a dip for french fries, and as a
simple dressing for hot or cold veggies. But mix in some extra
flavor and you’ve got something that sends your taste buds to new
heights. These variations are my favorites, but feel free to create
your own.
The
technique is simple: Combine good-quality store-bought or homemade
mayonnaise with the other ingredients in a food processor and whiz
them until they’re smooth, then refrigerate the result. If
possible, store it in the refrigerator for a day, or at least a few
hours, to let the flavors marry and intensify.
Margie’s Chipotle and Roasted Garlic
Mayo
This
invention of Calgary caterer Margie Gibb is particularly good as a
dip for pieces of smoked or grilled sausage, but it’s also great on
just about anything.
11/2
cups | 375 mL mayonnaise
1 whole
head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed
out of
their skins
1 tsp |
5 mL finely ground cumin (preferably made
from
toasted cumin seeds)
1 Tbsp
| 15 mL chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
(add
more chipotle if you like it hot)
Sesame Mayo
This is
the perfect dip for roasted veggies, and it’s also great tossed
with rice noodles for a cool, creamy side to grilled Asian-flavored
meats. Sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds for extra
texture.
Makes
about 1 1/2 cups | 375 mL mayonnaise
1 cup |
250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp |
5 mL toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp
| 2 mL soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp |
5 mL Chinese chili sauce or
spicy
Szechuan chili oil (or to taste)
1 tsp |
5 mL grated or finely chopped
fresh
lemon, lime, or orange rind
1 to 2
Tbsp | 25 mL toasted sesame seeds (to taste)
Curry Mayo
This is
perfect with veggies or as a sandwich spread.
Makes
about 1 1/4 cups | 310 mL mayonnaise
2 large
shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 tsp |
20 mL curry powder
1 Tbsp
| 15 mL vegetable oil
1 cup |
250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp |
5 mL lemon juice
Barbecue Mayo
A great
“secret sauce” for your homemade burger, french fries, or grilled
chicken wings. Cut it with sour cream for a tasty chip
dip.
Makes
about 1 1/2 cups | 375 mL mayonnaise
1 Tbsp
| 15 mL barbecue rub of your choice
1/4 cup
| 50 mL barbecue sauce of your choice
1 cup |
250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp |
5 mL lemon or lime juice
Wasabi Mayo
Excellent
on planked fish, or on fried crab cakes, or in a slaw or
salad.
Makes
about 1 cup | 250 mL mayonnaise
1 Tbsp
| 15 mL wasabi powder or paste
1 cup |
250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp |
5 mL lime juice
Roasted Garlic
Here’s a great kitchen staple
that works well baked in the oven or planked on the grill. Roasted
garlic is as versatile as it is delicious. Use it as a flavor
enhancer in mayo, an enricher of mashed potatoes, and a flavor note
in soups and sauces—or just spread it on a piece of toasted French
bread.
Preheat
the oven to 350°F | 175°C (or preheat your grill in preparation for
plank-cooking). With a sharp knife, slice off the top of a garlic
bulb, just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle it with
a little olive oil, season it with salt and pepper, and wrap the
bulb tightly in foil. Place it in the oven (or on a soaked,
preheated? plank in your grill with the heat turned down to low),
cut side up, and roast it for about an hour, or until the garlic is
soft and lightly browned. Once it’s cool enough to handle, you can
squeeze the head and the roasted garlic comes out like
toothpaste.