Summertime and the Grilling Is Easy

My neighbor, Paul, acted as grill master, last weekend at the farm.

Finding the Best Ingredients

Most foods benefit from time spent on a hot grill, whether it’s ribs, burgers, corn or asparagus. Last weekend I went with chicken, brat, and vegetable kabobs.

The sausage I got from G&W Meat & Bavarian Sausage Company. It’s a quaint shop, off-the-beaten-path, that makes you feel you’ve just wandered into a little German village.

Just a few of the umpteen varieties of sausage at G&W Meat & Bavarian Sausage Company. I’ve tried several different kinds and, so far, prefer the Mozzarella/Jalapeno.

Some Assembly Required

Robin concocted a marinade of olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Before grilling, she placed the chicken pieces and vegetables into separate Ziploc bags along with the marinade. All went into the refrigerator for an hour, or so. (We didn’t marinate the Mozzarella-Jalapeno brats. When it comes to flavor, they can take care of themselves.)

I meant to add fresh morels, but the dry, hot weather has hampered them from springing up as they usually do this time of year.

Threading the skewers

Using separate skewers for the meat and veggies helps control cooking and browning times.

Almost done!

My “kitchen sink” salad lived up to its name as I tossed together Butter Plus lettuce, romaine, spinach, goat cheese, spiced pecans, tomatoes, pear slivers, dried cranberries, and green onion. The mélange got my favorite dressing made from basil grown in my herb garden.

Ready to serve

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

On the way to and from the farm last weekend, I saw fields of freshy cut hay bales. The pastoral scene brought on a bout of nostalgia.

Each summer, as teenagers, my three sons worked for local farmers “bucking bales,” that is, lifting the 40 to 75-pound rectangular bales from the field, throwing them onto a hay wagon, and stacking them in barns.

At 3 cents a bale, the pay was a bit scant, but the boys got in great shape for high school football, wrestling, and track.

Today with the greater use of round bales, there’s less manual labor involved in making hay. No matter the shape of the bales, they’re an important reminder of the food chain that begins in the fields.