GRILLIN’TASTING TABLE’S JUNE 2011 MENU

GONE DISHES TO TAKEFOR A BARBEQUE

ON THE ROAD

FOR MORE RECIPES VISIT TASTINGTABLE.COM PAGE 1

Watermelon Cooler with Grilled Watermelon page 2

Black Bean Hummus with Grilled Pita page 3

Honey Corn Cakes page 4

Grilled Romaine Salad with Cotija Cheese and Lime Vinaigrette page 5

Michelada-Roasted Chicken page 6

Grilled Shortcakes and Strawberries page 7

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FOR MORE RECIPES VISIT TASTINGTABLE.COM PAGE 2

Make lime simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar and lime zest and bring to a simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a portable container, stir together the lime juice, watermelon juice, tequila and 1/3 cup lime simple syrup (save the remaining simple syrup for the watermelon slices). Refrigerate until chilled or ready to serve.

¼ cup water

¼ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup fresh lime juice, plus strips of zest from one lime

1½ cups fresh watermelon juice (from about 1½ pounds watermelon)

Four small watermelon wedges, each about 1/2-inch thick

½ cup blanco tequila

Ice

PRO TIP

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lime, making sure to remove any white pith, which can make the simple syrup taste bitter.

Make aheadThe cocktail can be prepared through Step 2 and kept cool for up to 4 hours.

Make on-siteGrill watermelon slices, then serve cocktail over ice.

Brush each piece of watermelon with the reserved syrup and sear over a hot grill, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes.

Serve the cocktail over ice and garnish with the grilled watermelon slices.

WATERMELON COOLER WITH GRILLED WATERMELON

Makes 4 cocktails

JUNE 2011

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PRO TIP

FOR MORE RECIPES VISIT TASTINGTABLE.COM PAGE 3

In a food processor, combine the black beans, tahini, lime juice and zest, ½ cup of the cilantro and the garlic, serrano pepper, coriander, cumin and salt. Turn the processor on and gradually drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil, blending until smooth. Scoop the hummus into a portable container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil and cilantro. Transfer to a portable container and refrigerate.

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1¼ tablespoons tahini

Juice and zest of 1 lime

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cilantro, divided

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 small serrano pepper, split and mostly seeded

½ teaspoon ground coriander

Makes 4 appetizer servings

Toasting sesame seeds brings out their nutty flavor. To toast, place the seeds in a skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish and let cool before storing.

Make aheadPrepare the hummus and cilantro olive oil.

Make on-siteGrill the pita and garnish the hummus.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Using a pastry brush, brush each pita with the cilantro oil. Grill the pitas over medium heat until grill marks form, about 1 minute per side. Cut each pita into 4 wedges. Garnish the prepared hummus with the toasted sesame seeds and serve with the grilled pita.

BLACK BEAN HUMMUSWITH GRILLED PITA

JUNE 2011

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 pita bread rounds

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

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In a bowl, fold together 6½ tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon honey, the cilantro and ½ teaspoon of salt until well blended. Chill until firm.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk, 1½ tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons honey over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and the honey has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool slightly.

1 stick butter, softened and divided

3 tablespoons honey, divided

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

1½ teaspoons salt, divided

1¼ cup yellow cornmeal, finely ground

PRO TIPS

You can make and freeze the uncooked corn cakes up to 2 weeks in advance. Transport them in a cooler and they should defrost by the time you’re ready to grill.

Swap another favorite herb, such as tarragon or parsley, into the butter for an easy variation.

Make aheadPrepare the corn cake patties.

Make on-siteGrill and garnish the corn cakes.

Gently whisk the egg into the milk mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg-milk mixture into the cornmeal until just combined. Fold in the corn kernels. Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Working with ½ cup of the batter at a time, use your hands to form each portion into a 4-inch disk about ½ inch thick. Layer the disks between sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Brush the corn cakes with oil and grill for 5 minutes on each side, until the patties are cooked through. Serve warm with pats of cilantro butter.

HONEY CORN CAKES

JUNE 2011

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels

Olive oil

Makes 8 corn cakes

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In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest, orange juice, cilantro, garlic and sugar. Gradually whisk in the ¾ cup of olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the vinaigrette in a portable container until ready to use.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and grill the bread, turning once, until toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

1 lime, finely zested

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (½ a medium orange)

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Pinch of granulated sugar

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling

PRO TIP

Cotija is a hard cow’s milk cheese from Mexico. If you cannot find cotija, feta is a handy substitute.

Make aheadPrepare the vinaigrette.

Make on-siteGrill the bread and the lettuce.

Grill the lettuce halves, cut side down, until the leaves begin to char, about 20 to 25 seconds.

Transfer the lettuce to a platter, drizzle with the vinai-grette and sprinkle with the cotija cheese. Serve immediately with the toasted bread and extra vinaigrette.

JUNE 2011

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small baguette, cut on the bias into ¼-inch slices

12 medium romaine hearts, halved lengthwise

¼ cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled cotija cheese

Makes 4 servings

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD WITH COTIJA CHEESE AND LIME VINAIGRETTE

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In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, zest and juice from one lime, cilantro, pepper flakes and salt.

Place the chicken in a shallow dish and rub the marinade all over the skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Prepare a grill for indirect cooking. (The grill should register between 375° and 400°.)

Discard half of the beer. Cut the remaining lime into wedges and drop them into the half-full beer can. Place the can on the grill, making sure it’s steady. Carefully lower the chicken onto the beer can, prop-ping the legs on the grill grates to keep the bird stable.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 limes

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

PRO TIP

For a milder flavor, swap in lemons or an orange for the limes.

Make aheadMarinate the chicken.

Make on-siteGrill the chicken.

Cover the grill and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through--so the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife--about 1 hour.

Carefully transfer the chicken and beer can to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Lift the chicken off the can, carve and serve.

MICHELADA-ROASTED CHICKEN

JUNE 2011

One 4-to-5-pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry

One 12-ounce can Mexican beer

Makes 4 main-course servings

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PRO TIPS

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Make the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it’s the size of small peas.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ¾ cup of cream, the egg and the vanilla bean seeds. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spatula to fold together just until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut out 5 shortcakes. Gently gather and reroll the dough to cut out the remaining 3 shortcakes.

In a small bowl, use your fingers to blend the turbinado sugar and lime zest together. Transfer the shortcake rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the top of each shortcake with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Sprinkle with the lime sugar and bake for 20 minutes, until the shortcakes are lightly golden and cooked

FOR THE SHORTCAKES

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus 1½ tablespoons melted butter

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 egg

Cutting in the cold butter disperses the fat throughout the dough, allowing it to evaporate quickly when the cold butter hits the hot oven, which produces tender and flaky shortcakes.

Substitute another fruit, such as blackberries or pitted bing cherries, for the strawberries. Be sure to reduce the cooking time slightly so the fruit maintains its shape.

Make aheadPrepare the shortcakes and vanilla-tequila simple syrup.

Make on-siteGrill the strawberries and the shortcakes.

through. Transfer to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Make the strawberries: In a small saucepan, combine second vanilla bean pod and seeds, the sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir in the tequila and store in a transportable container.

Prepare a low to medium-hot grill. Place the strawberries, hulled-side down, in a heatproof dish. Drizzle with the vanilla-tequila simple syrup, cover with tinfoil and place on the grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the strawberries are tender.

Place the shortcakes on the grill until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Top the shortcakes with the warm straw-berries and any accumulated juices and serve immediately.

GRILLED SHORTCAKES AND STRAWBERRIES

JUNE 2011

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1 lime, finely zested

FOR THE STRAWBERRIES

1 pound (about 3 cups) strawberries, hulled

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons tequila, preferably añejo

Makes 8 shortcakes