I’m back y’all.  Home in my own kitchen with an endless availability of time, ingredients, and possibilities.  Tonight’s dinner was kick ass.  Straight up.  No other way about it.  We had friends over for slip n slide this afternoon and when the discussion bounced to my site, a few things came up.

First, I have lovely friends.  Anyone who has ever told you that Dallas was snobby, uppity, or all about the money was just plain wrong.  I say that because that’s what everyone told me for the first decade I lived in Texas.  And I married a boy from smack in the center of Dallas.  Yep.  HP, baby.  I make no bones about the fact that, by nature, I am not an urban person.  That said, I love the amenities that my urban lifestyle affords me.  The plethora of grocery-ing options, an every day of the week out of this world farmers market, an exceptional aquarium to take my kids to, not to mention our omnipresent selection of dining options.  My friends are so dear and so supportive of anything I ever do, I find it astounding.  So cheers to Elizabeth, Rachel, and Kathleen.  And for all my other Dallas kindred spirits, just because you weren’t a part of today’s discussion doesn’t mean I’m leaving you out.  Emily and Genny, COME HOME from Arkansas!  (Totally inappropriate for me to whine seeing as I’ve been out of state for FIVE weeks.)  So one of the things that my sweet friends and I discussed was the amount of time necessitated by some of my recipes.  – This needs a whole new paragraph.

I cook like anyone does a hobby who’s truly engrossed in it.  I think about it, plan it, read about it, love every minute of the process.  That’s *MY* relaxation.  That said, I know there are plenty of people seeking healthy, delicious, quick meals.  So my response – EAT MORE FISH!  Fish cooks so quickly, it’s almost painless, aside from seeking freshness.  Heck I could write my own 30 minute meals cookbook solely containing fish!  So if you’re in Dallas, and particularly, if you’re my neighbor, hop on over to our favorite stop Rex’s Seafood Market.  I’m a huge lover of Central Market and Whole Foods, but in seafood, go with the guy who specializes in fresh.  And for the love of criminy!  I can walk there!  Who can walk to a place like this that also has their own kitchen?  Rex’s has fresh fish flown in every day, I think like around 16 kinds each day, and he can get you live lobsters, as long as you call by noon.  He’s supplying my lobsters for Sunday’s Gourmet magazine ‘s July cover lobster roll recipe.

Another thing that came up is marketing.  I suck at this.  And the irony is, I’m actually kicking butt for any previous version of myself.  But alas… if you want to grow something, you have to work for it and make it easy for people to join your following.  I put a subscribe tab at the top of the main page last week after Kara’s recommendation.  Kara’s been near and dear to me since my first few moments in the great state of Texas and her recommendation was spot on.  So if you would like to get an email each time I update, click that link or the one at the bottom of this post and follow me in near real time.  And while you’re at it, if you’re in the market for stationary, contact Kara.  She’s owned a paper business and now she’s designing her own stationary.  I’m certain if you’re looking for something unique and personal, she’s your gal!  My friends also recommended that I make a facebook page, so that’s going up tonight.  I feel a little tool-ish, but all said, I really want to connect good friends with good food and spread the love.  So if you’re inclined and a facebooker, click here to become a fan of dinnerandconversation.com.

If you’re not from Texas or perhaps Louisiana, you may have never eaten Redfish.  I *think* that Texas Redfish is the same as a Red Drum if you’re familiar with that.  If not, these fish are frequently caught off the Gulf Coast in the Texas and Louisianna waters.  When cooked, it mimicks a slightly more sturdy red snapper or grouper.  Redfish doesn’t show up on my iphone Seafood watch app, so maybe it’s not available on a large scale, or maybe it’s cool – at least we know it’s not on the black list.  When the boys go fishing in Texas, this is what they bring home, and it’s phenomenal.  Zero fishy taste at all, yet meaty enough to hold up to a grill.

Blackened Redfish with Wine Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

2 lbs redfish fillets

olive oil

Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning

4 tbsps butter, divided

2 shallots, finely chopped

3/4 c. Sauvingon Blanc (I used Rodney Strong)

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 c. water

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp fresh finely chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rub rinsed and dried redfish with olive oil on both sides.  Sprinkle cautiously with blackened seasoning on one side (this stuff is hot!  if hot’s you’re thing go for it, but I live in Texas and I’m cautious!) Place fish, blackening side up on a grill pan in oven.  Cook 6 minutes or until approaching opaque.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet, add shallots and sautee 4 minutes on medium heat, until soft and fragrant, watching to prevent burning.  Add wine, stir, let reduce, one minute.  Add capers and lemon juice, cook 1 minute, then add 2 additional tbsps of butter.  Stir until incorporated, then add water, reduce 2 more minutes and season with salt and pepper.

At this point, you can turn off if necessary and re-stir just before serving.  Broil fish 1 minute for color. Add parsley to sauce, stir and serve topping fish.

Serve with super simple couscous and ask your spouse to prepare the salad – or cook in advance.  Fish cooks fast and requires attention, your entire entree is prepared in 15 minutes.

Cheers!

I’m back in Dallas and thrilled to be home.  Packing, driving halfway across the country, arriving, seeing my husband, family and friends has kept me busy.  Plus when you’ve been out of town for five weeks, the refrigerator is completely bare.  That said, I’ve made it to the store, restocked with fresh perishables, savored a few new food magazines, and planned a feast fit for the gods this weekend.  So stay tuned, by tomorrow I will have posted at least one new recipe.  Here’s a glimpse of what I’m eating this weekend!

Broiled Redfish with a Lemon-Caper-Butter-Wine Sauce

Standing Rib Roast

Lobster Rolls with Lemon Vinaigrette and Garlic Butter (from the cover of Gourmet magazine)

Can you tell I’ve missed cooking in my own kitchen?  I’m thrilled to be home and creating and making messes and wonderful food.  Be on the lookout for new posts and lots of pictures!

Home Sweet Home!

Our picnic fare for this week’s Deer Valley Free Concert featured fresh foods from the Farmers Market.  We had fresh broccolini, fresh zucchini, fresh radishes, Lemon Pepper Chevre and Garlic Chevre from Drake Family Farms, and fresh Asiago Cheese Bread from Volker’s Bakery.  After a super hike up Holly’s trail leading to mid-mountain of The Canyons Resort, and lunch with friends at the Red Pine Restaurant, I trekked down to the Farmers Market, no plan in mind, except to buy fresh foods to feed us in our evening’s al fresco dining.

Letting me loose in a Farmer’s Market is a little like letting loose a kid in a candy store.  Or maybe an 8 year old in a waterpark.  Or maybe a college student in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.  You get the point.  Fresh food picked as little as 6 hours prior, gets my heart pumping and my head spinning.  I actually have to ration myself on how much cash I bring or I get totally impulsive and start buying all sorts of stuff in way to large of quantities, like the 6 pints of raspberries and 2 lbs of cherries I bought one week.

We’re dippers in this family so we dipped the radishes in the chevre and the veggies in my dipping sauces.  I also brought some crackers and parmesan crisps for the chevre.  And while we were at it, we wound up dipping the bread in the sauces as well.  I try not to eat too much bread any more, just as a general habit, cause it’s rough on the blood sugar and there are so many other foods I enjoy, I just usually cut out the bread and don’t notice.  If you dip your bread in olive oil, Italian style, it’s much easier on the blood sugar and it tastes good, so why not give it a shot?

On another note, when cooking at my sister-in-law’s house this week, someone asked me if you can roast zucchini in vegetable oil instead of in olive oil.  Since I’d never tried it and we couldn’t find any olive oil, we gave it a go.  Don’t.  It was totally flavorless.  The key to good roasted vegetables is a flavorful olive oil.  I’ve mentioned it before, but the best one I’ve found was from my Nudo olive tree adoption my sister, Amelia, gave me for Christmas.

Mint Citrus Dipping Sauce

Juice of 1 medium naval orange (approx 1/4 c.)

Juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons (approx 1/3 c. )

1/2 c. grapeseed oil

2 tbsps minced shallots

2 tbsps fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine juices and grapeseed oil.   Add shallots, mint, sea salt, and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  Chill 1 hour before serving, then whisk again.

Garlic Balsamic Dipping Sauce

4 tbsps olive oil

3 tbsps balsamic vinager

2 tbsps water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp ground mustard

Combine balsamic, olive oil, and water.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, fresh ground pepper, and mustard.  Whisk to combine.  Chill 1 hour, then whisk again before serving.

Last night I saw the Wallflowers perform at the Red Bute Gardens in Salt Lake City.  I thought I was getting a beautiful picture of our picnic setup, but it was super bright and I guess I couldn’t tell it was all shadowy at the time.  To the left is a fresh chive hummus I was inspired to create after seeing a chive hummus listed on the menu at the Royal Street Cafe in Deer Valley.  I didn’t actually order the chive hummus at Royal Street, so I have no idea what theirs looks or tastes like, but thought it sounded light and summery so created my own.

I also made some fresh baked whole wheat pita chips, but I pulled a stupid move and failed to get them in the picture at all.  They turned out quite well.

I was very pleased with our cheese selection as well.  Starting at the top the bottom cheese was a Sweet Grass Georgia Gouda.  While googling that, I came across this fabulous article about the Sweet Grass Dairy.  I have a total dream of having a dairy farm and making cheese, and this such a cool description I feel like they’re living in my dream world.  Back to the cheese, it was delicious, less soft than the traditional gouda’s  you find in the store, beautiful yellow color and enjoyed by all.  Next is the Campo del Montalban, which my husband bought me for Valentine’s a couple years ago after a Whole Foods recommendation.  If you like Manchego, I highly recommend you give this cheese a shot.  It’s a blend of cow, sheep, and goat milk and is just fabulous.  The third cheese was a Petit Basque a French Sheep milk cheese that’s relatively new but enjoying monumental success.  I’ve read about Petit Basque in lots of catalogs and magazines and have always wanted to try it.  I was definitely not disappointed and will join the ranks of its huge fans.

I’ve been bragging about how friendly everyone is in Utah, and true to form not only did the nice neighbors next to us offer to take our picture, but shared their caprese salad and bought me a cd.  It was kind of surreal.  That’s Susan (S-MIL), Joan, and me in the green.  Susan has been the hostess with the mostess as well as planning my concert schedule.  We had a lovely evening and really enjoyed ourselves. Me, maybe a bit too much.

Here’s the shared capreseAnd here’s the beautiful setting.  If you live in Utah – or are coming for a visit, check out Red Butte Gardens!  It’s lovely!

Fresh Chive Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3/8 c. olive oil

5 cloves garlic

juice from 1 and 1/2 lemons, about 4 tbsps

4 tbsps fresh chives, chopped

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

4 turns fresh ground pepper

Place garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice and chives in food processor, blend.  Slowly drizzle olive oil into mixture.  Add spices, pulse a few more times, then chill.

Possibly the best thing to ever come out of Alabama is West Indies Crab Salad, IMO. My godmother taught me to make this recipe years ago and I just absolutely love it. My little sister wasn’t born in Alabama, but my Godmother bribed my mother to have the christening take place in Alabama with promises of planning the after party, and the clincher, serving this salad. I’ve said it before food is love.

The original recipe was created by Bill Bayley in 1947. Mr. Bayley was a restaurateur and guarded his recipe for years until it was eventually published in the 1964 edition of the Junior League of Mobile’s cookbook. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly from Wesson vegetable oil to grapeseed oil, since I just can’t stand to use vegetable oil anymore. Grapeseeed was a great substitution since it’s lighter than olive oil and has such a delicate flavor. I also added chopped chives for color. This salad would be lovely at a luncheon served on a bed of butter lettuce, but I generally serve it with crackers as an appetizer.

I used the Whole Foods Whole Catch Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, but you can also use Costco’s lump crab meat for about half the cost. The advantage to the Whole Foods line is that in two containers – there were no shells at all to pick out. If you haven’t prepared lump crab before after rinsing, just squish the lumps between your fingers to ensure that there are no shells left and separate the crab meat.

I keep promising photos of my mountain adventure so here are a few. I’m hitting at least four outdoor concerts a week. This is actually from the Wednesday Deer Valley free concert series – that’s my son Quentin after he spilled his grandmothers red wine all over his shirt.  Trust me – wine on the side of a mountain can be tricky.  You absolutely have to have these wine bottle and glass holders. 

And this is my best friend Lisa who brought her boys out to stay with me for awhile.  These concerts are a cornucopia of dining al fresco, friends, wine and children running around everywhere.  And here’s me – at the top of the mountain.  I’m spending my days hiking in the quiet and planning luxurious picnics for my evening outdoor concerts.  Rough life, eh?  I highly recommend it for your mental health!

West Indies Crab Salad

1 and 1/2 large yellow onions, very finely chopped

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through for shells

4 oz grapeseed oil

3 oz apple cider vinegar

4 oz extremly cold ice water

1 and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper

2 tbsps chopped fresh chives

In a bowl, layer half the onions, then top with the crab meat, then the other half of the onions.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinager, and water for the dressing.  Pour over the crab mixture  and let marinate in refrigerator 6-12 hours – the longer the better.  An hour before serving, stir, add the salt, pepper, and fresh chives.  Stir again just before serving.

Serve on a bed of butter lettuce or on crackers as an appetizer.

When you live in the mountains there’s no need for air conditioning.  As I understand it, the same often lies true for other areas like Boston, Manhattan (if you’re poor – or by the rest of the country’s standards- upper middle class), and probably large parts of the PacNorthwest.  Everywhere I’ve ever lived, we had air conditioning.  Largely because we spent the bulk of July approaching 100 degrees and over 85 % humidity.  Honestly, I don’t know how my grandmothers pulled it off.  Cause they definitely didn’t have air conditioning when they had little babies.

Anyhow, I’m the fool who roasts a full turkey in the summer, but my in-laws are not.  And they live on the third floor, so I can’t really call them to town.  So – hence all the grilling.  I’m beginning to feel a bit like a Bobby Flay wannabe.  But things are going well, and you just can not beat the picturesque setting or the weather.  While jogging today, I was recalling the definition of the word bucolic from 8th grade vocab.  When you live in the Midwest, in a pseudo-city, the word bucolic is looked at with a sneer, as people think of it as the definition of boring farm country.  Trust me, here, bucolic makes you just want to roll over and die in bliss due to the unbelievable setting.

Switching notes, my step-mom-in-law (how’s that for a description – from here on out, Susan or S-MIL) made me watch Waitress tonight, with Keri Russell.  “Made” is way to strong of a word, encouraged is more appropriate or technically “really wanted me to watch so we could discuss” might be more suited.  I’m not a big TV/Movie person, I’m more of a conversation person, and generally, if someone recommends us watching a movie together, I either A) Avoid by making said party stay up too late drinking to start a movie or B) plainly state I’ve no interest in the subject matter for reasons 1, 2, and 3.  I have very strong aversions to certain subjects; I’m grossly opinionated and don’t enjoy watching dramatizations of  other peoples hardships.  For instance Titanic.  Seriously, the whole experience is so god damned sad in itself, why do we need to make up a fictious tragic love story to make me feel worse about the whole bit of it.  So, if you don’t know me and you’re recommending a movie, I don’t do A) INFIDELITY, B) UNWANTED CHILDREN OR PREGNANCIES, C) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE or D) TRAGIC FAMILY ABUSE.  I just don’t watch movies with these underlying themes.  I know these experiences exist and I’d be more than happy to volunteer for your campaign to exterminate them, but for the love of GOD a movie is supposed to be enertainment and a romanitic comedy encapsulating one of these four themes is just not a good way to spend my time.  It makes me sad, lonely and depressed.

This is all coming off way too harsh.  Especially for a cooking blog.  The point being.  I totally remember why I didn’t want to watch the movie in the first place.  That said, Thank you, S-MIL!  Because, the way Jenna describes her creations of pie, makes me want to be a better person.  And the techniques I gathered from the recipes contained within were enough to inspire me to whip out a few pies of my own.  I could do without the drama, but I learned a lot.  And could tell that the late writer and director must have loved food and cooking every single bit as much as I do.

God rest her soul.

P.S. The recipe’s called Naked, cause there is barely anything on it.

Naked Grilled Sockey Salmon, Eggplant, Zucchini, Onions, Asparagus and Portabellas

(Serves 4)

Just over 2 lbs Wild Sockeye Salmon

1 eggplant

2 large zucchini

1 white onion

3/4 a bunch or about 25 stalks skinny asparugus

4 portabella caps

olive oil

kosher salt or a flake salt

fresh ground pepper

a lemon, halved

Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic

** Notes – sockeye came from Whole foods – skin on one side fillets.  Grilling pan came from Bed Bath and Beyond – seen here.  Really, Really coat your eggplant in olive oil.  Always buy more mushrooms than you think humanly possible to consume.  They shrink, and they’re just good.

Rub both skin side and flesh side of salmon generously with olive oil.  Season flesh side with salt, pepper and Seafood Magic.  Cut eggplant into disks, squeeze with lemon juice.  Cut zucchini into half moons, by slicing lengthwise in half, then horizontally in 1/2 inch segments.  Cut onions into rings and leave intact.  Break asparagus to trim ends, and slice portabellas.  Brush all veggies with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to 350 or medium heat.  Brush grill pan with olive oil and place veggies in sections, leaving off the asparagus and eggplant.  Add salmon and grill pan with veggies to grill.  Place eggplant directly on grill.  Cook 25 minutes at 300 stirring veggies occasionally or 15 minutes at 350.  Either way check occasionally to prevent scorching and brush with olive oil.  If you like your veggies really crisp and don’t mind charring go with the higher temp.  If you like your veggies gently browned, go with the lower temp.  Turn eggplant halfway and shuffle veggies on grill pan.  Add asparagus to grill pan in the last 8 minutes of chosen grilling time.

Remove all to platter and serve immediately with Drizzling Balsamic Vinaigrette seen below.

Drizzling Balsamic Vinaigrette

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

3/8 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. water

large pinch kosher salt

sprinkling of fresh ground pepper

1/8 tsp. ground mustard

Whisk all ingredients together, then serve from cruet or small pitcher.

Yesterday I went to the Grand Tasting at the Park City Food and Wine Festival.  Over 500 wines were available to sample, as well as a few food items.  I’m mainly a red wine drinker, so I sampled a few white wines but mainly the red.  My best budget pick was a Nero d’Avola by Fuedo Arancio which costs around 9$.  I tried it in honor of Grandpa since this grape is indigenous to Sicily.  If you like big Cabernets, give this wine a shot, you won’t be disappointed.  On the higher end, my favorite was a 2006 Raymond Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which runs around $35.  I don’t buy a lot of wine in that price range, but if you do, I highly recommend it.  Mogan Winery was tasting a 2006 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir that was the best I’ve ever tasted.  I’m not generally a huge Pinot Noir fan and am mostly annoyed at the amount of people who bought into its “superiority” after Sideways, but this was exceptional.  Of course now I am totally laughing because I failed to ask how much this wine ran and after finding it on their site, I just realized it’s probably the most expensive wine I’ve ever tasted.  So if you’re swimming in money or just drink way less than I do, jump in for the low price of $62 a bottle!  I bet they love Sidways and the cult like following Pinots are enjoying.

On the food end, my favorite was a Smoky Blue Cheese from igourmet.com.  Of course it’s from Oregon!  I swear Portland is stalking me.  Sending me my favorite foods and wines and begging me to move there.  I’ve never even been there and I have this sick fascination with my imaginary version of my life in Portland.  I could develop an addiction to this cheese.  Actually, all the cheeses igourmet.com tasted were delicious.  I’ve never purchased anything from igourmet, but I am totally going to order one of their sampler boxes.  Most assortments of cheese really bum me out, but these people seemed totally on top of their game.  Way to go igourmet!

Beyond the food and wine, the setting was spectacular in the Canyons Resort.  The resort is a beautiful place and I just love it more each time I go back.  I’ll probably hike there tomorrow, so I’ll be sure to pop my camera in my backpack so I can upload some senic pics from the resort.

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Fire me.  I know it.  I’m on “vacation” sort of with two preschoolers in tow and my head is just not connected where it should be.  I don’t have a brilliant recipe to deliver, and I’m still forgetting to bring my camera, but I do have a fabulous review.  This week Susan and I ate at Sage Cafe in Salt Lake City.  Susan eats WAY more vegetarian than I do, but we’ve always enjoyed  the few vegetarian restaurants together, and were both despondant when West Lynn Cafe went out of business in Austin. 

Recently, I’ve had several friends inquire about whether I had vegetarian recipes here.  As I’ve said here before, after the gestational diabetes, I just don’t think I will ever go back full on vegetarian.  What I will do is eat everything in moderation, in the freshest most balanced diet I can accomplish, while keeping my total carbs low and the carbs I do consume to be predominantly from vegetable sources.   **Eyes in the sky**, please disregard the flat of farmers market cherries and half flat of raspberries I took to the concert tonight.  Better than bread though, eh?   And while you’re at it, please disregard those McDonald’s meals that periodically sustain my family, everything in moderation right?  Even healthy eating.   

So ignore Sage’s website if you clicked through.  It’s very basic, not flashy, and certainly not enticing. The restaurant itself is anything but those misgivings.  The atmosphere is relaxing, the waiter was extremely knowledgable, and even the bus boy seems to share a passion for gourmet, sustainable, vegetarian food.  I’d give my right arm to take a walk in their kitchen and watch Tuesday’s Soba noodle special being made.  I’ve never seen a vegetarian broth so dark or flavorful.  It was amazing. 

Susan was taken as they ran the list of the dish’s local vegetables and she heard garlic scapes mentioned.  I was taken by the description of the whole package – Japanese soba noodles in moderatley spicy broth with an array of local, organic, sustainable vegetables.  Again, I apologize for the crappy iPhone photo.  I will glue my camera to me if I have to.  For anyone who thinks you can’t eat well or richly at a vegetarian meal, I challenge you to seek out this restaurant.  Though I only had this dish, the bulk of the menu was crying for me, begging me to jump in and challenge what it had to offer.  It may not be my every day meal, but I can enjoy and even crave a vegetarian plate like this one.

The number one find at the Park City Farmers Market was garlic scapes.  I’ve been reading about them everywhere, it’s like they’ve been stalking me with their ubiquity in print, but total absence in my produce stands.  Since the climate is totally different here, I’m guessing garlic scapes would be available in Texas in late Feb, early March and I just missed them.  But there they were, fresh, bright green, and beautiful.

Garlic scapes are the early flower sprouts that come at the beginning of the garlic season before the bulbs are mature enough to harvest.  Kind of like how some gardeners advise you to trim your basil before it goes to seed in order to encourage the plant to keep producing big leaves, some gardeners trim the scapes to encourage the plant to focus on growing hearty bulbs.

Scapes have a more delicate garlic flavor, and in theory, can be eaten raw if harvested before they curl.  Mine of course were curly and too tough to eat raw, but did fabulously when trimmed, chopped and sauteed in olive oil.  We added ours to a salad, but thought we could eat just a plate of them straight.

I also got fresh salad greens from Chad’s Produce, 2009’s Best Farmer in Utah Award recipient, featured in our salad.  They were quite delicious.  And zucchini from the first person I’ve met in Utah who wasn’t very friendly, I’ll be sure to try another zucchini farmer next week.  The most amazing thing to me was the number of sustainable fish purveyors at the farmers market.  I didn’t purchase anything from them or really even check them out, I was just surprised to see at least 4 fish stands present.

Sauteed Garlic Scapes

Bunch Garlic Scapes, rinsed, trimmed, and chopped

Olive oil

Flake salt

Pepper

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsps olive oil and garlic scapes.  Sautee about 10 minutes, until color starts to change and scapes become fragrant.  Test, if they still taste to peppery, saute a few more minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve in a salad or as a topping for steak, chicken or fish.

I tend towards a from-scratch style of cooking.  One because I enjoy the process so much and two because I know each and every ingredient going into my meals.  Since I’m visiting with family, I’m going to be highlighting a lot of other people’s best dishes this month, in addition to my own creations.  This flank steak is one of my father-in-law’s staples.  I’ve written about my flank steaks here and here.  Well, technically, that second one was about a London Broil that should have been made with a flank steak.  As far as the Top Round London Broil goes, if you are really pinched for cash, this french dressing marinade, would be a much better way to go than the marinade I used in that post.  These flank steaks turned out ridiculously tender and flavorful.  I would add my herb sauce another time, but FIL’s French Dressing was good and very simple.   

FIL marinates the flank steak in bottled french dressing for 24 hours.  Then he cooks the flank steak on the grill.  Ours was a tag team effort as he was on pickup duty to the airport for some delayed family members.  He marinated, then brought the flank steak to room temperature, then I ran the grill.  His fancy shmancy grill has a built in thermometer which I tried to keep right around 400.  I let the excess marinade drip back into the pan then grilled the steaks turning 3 times to make the criss-cross grill pattern.  I cooked to an internal temp of 135 then let the steaks rest 10-15 minutes before cutting against the grain.  We then used the marinade reuse method of boiling the french dressing on the grill for 10 minutes, then serving it as a dipping sauce. 

We’re also trying to use the grill as much as possible, so I cooked the zucchini in the grill as well, using a foil boat I fashioned for them.  Some people grill vegetables in foil packets, I’m partial to roasted veggies so I left mine open.  I seasoned them with my usual salt, pepper, and olive oil.  I cooked them in a closed grill on the warming rack (I think that’s the propper term) above the grates for 15 minutes.  Then I moved the boats down to the grates and kept them in a closed grill on medium/400 for another 10 minutes.  I’d thought about just using the cast iron skillet direct on the grill, but with the multiple pounds of flank steak we were cooking, there just wasn’t room.   

In case you were back for my review of the Park City Farmers Market today, I’m in the process of working on it and I’ll put it up later tonight or tomorrow with the results of my garlic scapes!