So Tucker is in Alaska fishing for Salmon and Halibut.... (think fish and chips). Reminds me of the quote he posted awhile back, "Cooking is three-quarters shopping." In this case, it is three quarters hunting-gathering. So for this weeks blog and next week, Cyrus is pointing out some general themes and high points and his Dad is writing the blog. Sorry, I don't think I can duplicate the style and voice of Tucker.
This week Cyrus had a last minute camping trip to the Wind River in SW Washington with his friend Jake. So Sunday dinner happened on Monday night, which fit well because our Aunt Paula and Uncle Ray had just arrived from Canada. We thought about making a special "Canadian dish" for them, perhaps a Poutine, french fries and cheese curds or a TourTierre, the traditional Christmas meat pie of the Quebecois. But since it was over 90 degrees, Cyrus decided we should fire up the grill and cook outside. Truth be told, if it wasn't for the deep fat fryer, I think Cyrus would cook every meal on the grill -- wouldn't matter if it was raining sideways.
When I arrived home from work the coals were just turning all white in the charcoal chimney. I dumped them into the grill and went inside to see the kitchen abuzz in activity. Cyrus had his Aunt washing lettuce, and his Grandma chopping Basil and garlic. He was getting ready to rub the chicken with a marinade of garlic, basil, olive oil and he sent me out to pick Nasturtiums for the salad. Earlier in the day, he had made a Balsamic-Molasses glaze that was to brush on the peaches on the grill.
All the very different ingredients came together at the last minute in a glorious plate. The grilled chicken breast had a wonderful roasted skin with bits of garlic and basil charred to it. The roasted peaches, caramelized with Balsamic vinegar and molasses, made a great sweet-tangy combination with the Chicken. It was a similar to the Hoisin Chicken from a few weeks ago. But it was a really simple recipe and was great choice for a busy Monday. We realized that we have a few familiar refrains to our Sunday dinners lately: grilled peaches and Nasturtiums in the salad, Family and friends, and dining outside on the patio. What a great way to experience summer -- through our tastebuds with friends and family.
Diane would ask: no starch? Without potatoes pasta, or rice, it's only a snack.
ReplyDeleteThat said it all looks very tasty. What fruits do you grill in the winter?
I dont grill in the winter ...winter=tamales and italian
ReplyDeleteI'm having a lot of fun in Alaska but we haven't caught very many fish. They just aren't biting this year. Ketchikan is pretty cool except for the fact that we're tied up between two seaplane docks, it gets a little loud. Yesterday when we were in the Brohmas (a group of islands south of town) and it got warm enough that we were able to swim! The water was about 54 F so "swimming" meant questioning your sanity as you fling yourself from the bow of our 24-foot boat.
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