Salivation Sunday!

Hello!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

It has been wonderful here in CNY!
I have been able to work in my gardens,
play outdoors with my boys and cook on the grill!

Today I am having a Salivation Sunday!

Salivate (-vāt′)

transitive verb salivated -·vat′ed, salivating -·vat′·ing

To produce an excessive flow of saliva in

Etymology: < L salivatus, pp. of salivare, salivate

intransitive verb

to secrete saliva

Related Forms:

salivation sal′i·va′·tion noun

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.


I know, I know - I usually make you salivate many other days of the week,
but what can be better than good food, cooked over a flame?

Even foods you may not care for taste better cooked on the grill!

Chicken, Hot dogs Hamburgs, Steaks - they are so passe'!

I am talking about GOURMET GRILLING!


Now, first things first! Before you can grill- well, you need one!


My favorite grill is available at Frontgate:

Porsche Design X-Series Gas Grill




Product Description:

Developed by the visionaries at Porsche Design Studio, our remarkable Porsche Design X-Series Gas Grill delivers up to 52,000 BTU of highly controllable heat on an expansive 1,120 sq.-in. cooking space for grand-scale entertaining.

This outdoor grill not only looks stunning, it also features high-end, gourmet grilling features such as:

4 ceramic infrared burners
Multifunction LED screen and digital meat thermometer; both powered by the rechargeable battery pack
Crafted of 304 stainless steel
Features the revolutionary Crossray ® cooking system
Smooth-start ignition fires up the grill in an instant
Porcelain-coated cast iron grates enable superior heat retention
Read more features of our X-Series grills
Arrives assembled.


For those of you who think that grill is a little
over the top, I also like this one from Home Depot:


Weber Genesis S-310 Stainless Steel Liquid Propane Gas Grill





Product Description:

So beautiful you'll hesitate to grill on it.
Includes thoughtful touches like heavy-duty casters and an enclosed tank storage area.

Total cooking area: 637 Sq. In.
3 stainless steel burners rated at 42,000 BTU
Electronic Crossover ignition system
Porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grate


Now, on to the food!!

I have decided to share a few of my favorite recipes for the grill!


Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar, Feta, and Grilled Baguette




Ingredients:

Serves 8

2 1/2 pounds small eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup balsamic vinegar
Vegetable oil, for grill
1 baguette, halved lengthwise
6 ounces feta cheese
Fresh basil, torn, for sprinkling


Directions:

1. Sprinkle eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons salt, place in a colander, and let stand 30 minutes. Wipe off salt and moisture with paper towels.

2. Mix olive oil, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon oil mixture. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved oil mixture, and let cool.

3. Preheat grill to medium; brush grill with vegetable oil. Brush eggplant slices generously with some remaining oil mixture. Grill eggplant, covered, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes per side.

4. Increase grill temperature to high. Brush baguette with remaining oil mixture, and grill until toasted, about 3 minutes. Cut baguette into pieces in various sizes.

5. Place eggplant, baguette, and feta on a large platter. Drizzle eggplant and feta with some vinegar mixture, then sprinkle torn basil over top. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture.



Emeril's Lemon-Herb Grilled Shrimp




Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds large unpeeled shrimp
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper


Directions:

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears or a paring knife, cut through shell along the back of each shrimp. Devein shrimp, leaving shells on.

2. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 6 tablespoons lemon mixture for serving. Place shrimp and remaining lemon mixture in a resealable plastic bag; seal bag and shake to coat shrimp. Refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Heat grill or grill pan to high. Clean and oil grill. Remove shrimp from marinade, wiping off excess. Grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve shrimp drizzled with reserved lemon mixture.



Grilled Banana Splits with Hot Fudge and Rum Caramel Sauce




Ingredients:

Serves 6

6 firm-ripe unpeeled bananas, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons honey
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) packed light brown sugar
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Hot Fudge Sauce, for serving
Rum Caramel Sauce, for serving
2 cups lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Finely chopped roasted lightly salted peanuts, for serving
6 maraschino cherries, for serving


Directions:

1. Preheat a grill to high, and lightly oil the grill grate.

2. Place the banana halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and drizzle the honey evenly over them. Sprinkle with the brown sugar. Place the bananas, cut side up, directly on the grill, arranging them so they are perpendicular to the grill grate. Close the grill cover and cook until the bananas are caramelized around the edges and the fruit is beginning to pull away from the peel, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Carefully transfer the grilled banana halves (still in their skins) to a small baking sheet. Using two small forks or a long, thin spatula, carefully remove the banana halves from their skins and place 2 pieces of banana on each dessert plate. (This is a little tricky because the bananas are now very soft.) Top each banana with 1 or 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with the Hot Fudge Sauce and Rum Caramel Sauce. Top with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Garnish each banana split with a maraschino cherry, and serve immediately.



I hope you enjoyed Salivation Sunday!

Now go ahead and grill!!