Summertime Grilling

In this morning's news, WBZ ran a story http://wbztv.com/consumer/propane.tank.bluerhino.2.1088830.html on propane companies shorting folks on the amount of fuel put in pre-filled tanks when exchanging their empty ones. Let's look at alternative grilling options so there is no dealing with this headache.

If you're a purist, authentic barbeque doesn't have a propane tank attached to it. Hardwood charcoal and/or briquettes supplemented with some aromatic woodchips like mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry etc. adds a distinct flavor to the food. Authentic barbeque isn't for the Pop-tart generation. When cooking a brisket, it's an all-day event. There is an endless list of information on this subject - a personal favorite is the "Barbeque Bible" by Steven Raichlen.

While grilling with charcoal requires more patience than the easier-to-use gas grills, charcoal grilling allows you to work on other home projects while the smell of barbeque lingers in the air. This gives you plenty of time to plant, dig, fertilize, mow...and still have dinner ready when your evening guests arrive at sunset.

If you prefer a vegetarian menu, you can create some imaginative dishes with grilled vegetables. An all-time favorite is grilling eggplant. Slice the eggplant thin, lengthwise with skin on, salt lightly to extract some of its bitter flavor, dress with a little olive oil and grill. It depends how long as the heat varies but intuitively you know when it is done. Dress it with the herb-infused oils from an earlier post. If you have a bumper crop of eggplant, you can make batches and freeze, stacking them in zip-lock bags for your mid-winter parmesans. If you do intend on freezing the eggplant, only partially cook them.

Make a stand this weekend. Use charcoal.