One Last Grilling Weekend?

Yeah, Baby!

According to the weather forecasters, Western Washington is headed for one of the warmest weeks of the summer (competition for that title wasn't super stiff this year), so it's time for those last-of-the-season cook-outs! And you can find everything you need at Bellevue Farmers Market.

For omnivores, consider grilled hamburgers, specialty sausages or salmon. For the meats I recommend a grilled onion accompaniment:

1. Make a foil packet, double-thick;
2. Slice Walla Walla sweet onions into the packet;
3. Drizzle with olive oil;
4. Close packet and grill to desired doneness. I like my onions quite mushy, so I slice them thin and cook them as long as the meat.

For the the salmon, try this quick Peach Salsa:

1 ripe peach, chopped (skin optional)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 c diced Walla Walla Sweet onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro or Italian parsley
Lime juice and salt to taste

Mix and serve!


And for the vegetarians, one of my favorite foods in Italy was the Mixed Grilled Vegetables served as an antipasti (appetizer). In fact, we picked restaurants based on their display of antipasti. When I eat these, I'm transported right back to that little trattoria on Capri.

For these you will need a grill rack that prevents all the vegetable bits falling through.

Sliced vegetables of your choice. For example:
Zucchini sliced lengthwise
Walla Walla Sweet onions
Asparagus
Eggplant sliced lengthwise
Tomatoes thickly sliced or halved
Sliced potatoes

Drizzle your vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a little paprika. Grill to desired doneness. Then finish with another drizzle of balsamic vinegar. So, so good.

Stock up on summer bounty Thursday 3-7 and Saturday 10-3!