Grilling Vegetables
Two things are for sure in the summer here is Hoover, Alabama - Hot Muggy Days and Bar-B-Que. Grilling Out is a great way to get together with family and friends, and football season is right around the corner which is grilling out on the road (or from your tailgate). Alabama is famous for Bar-B-Que, especially pork. That is one of the things I really miss when I travel is GOOD Bar-B-Que, and the ribs, Oh My Gosh!!! I received an e-mail yesterday asking me to vote for the best bar-b-que ribs in Birmingham and it was really HARD because we have so many great rib places (I would have to say Dreamland is my favorite). My son invited us over for "ribs" a few weeks ago and they were really good - I was SO proud!
With the Bar-B-Que comes all the fixins like the beans and potato salad and slaw. Now, I am not a huge fan of these typical items. Guess that is because I'm not "from the south". Beans are fine, just about any way you cook them, but I don't like slaw at all and I'm pretty picky about my potato salad. There are as many ways to make potato salad as there are people and I've never been a huge mayonnaise fan - and in the heat of the summer .......
Recently I've developed a real liking for grilled vegetables. They are healthier than your typical fixins. I wasn't sure what to do with them so I started experimenting with different combinations and different seasonings. I had some fennel at a friend's house so now I buy fennel whenever I'm at the grocery store. My family laughs at me because I am all about fennel, but it is different and has a really good taste. I even used the leaves to season pork chops the other day. You can make a tray out of tin foil, or get one of those grilling trays like in the picture above (I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond) for under $10. You cut the vegetables into pieces and marinate them ahead of time - or not, and place the tin on the grill while you are cooking the meat. To marinate them, I place the vegetables in a zip lock bag so you can get them coated really well then dump them in the tray. Check out this grilling guide for cooking times and recipes.
One of the home features buyers are looking for these days is outdoor kitchens. If you love the outdoors and your current home doesn't have the right space for cooking out, perhaps you'd like to Shop for a New Home. If that is the case, I can help. Let me know at www.ToniBird.com.
Happy Eating
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