Grilled Scallions

Grilling in November - what? But here we are, it was over 70 today and the rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful as well. So, grilling. The biggest challenge was seeing the grill in the dark...

As for scallions, well, they are one of the few fresh vegetables left in the garden - though local shiitakes still seem to be available as well and are always excellent on the grill. In the spring I made grilled ramps and loved them so much that I had been meaning to try scallions. I finally got around to it. I served these with Romesco Sauce (which I have a stash of in the freezer), but pesto (which I also have a stash of) would also be great.

5-6 large scallions per person
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Romesco sauce, pesto, or other topping of your choice

Cut the roots of the scallions and trim the green part so they end up around 12 inches (shorter is okay if you have smaller scallions).

Spread the trimmed scallions in a single layer in a baking dish or large plate. Brush or spray all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side (check after 30 seconds if you have thin-ish scallions). When browned nicely in places and floppy, they are done.

Serve hot. Pass sauce at the table.

Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant Skewers

I often use a grill basket for grilling veggies in chunks, but sometimes I use skewers to mix it up. It also saves me a bit of room on the grill. Eggplant worked well here, but you could use whatever vegetables you like. If you use bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them well ahead of time; I use these bendy stainless steel ones that hook together in a loop.

Nuoc Cham:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili paste
2 Tbsp lime juice (ideally fresh)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Skewers:
2 medium Asian eggplants (the long skinny ones), in rounds or cubes (peeled or not as desired)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Salt
1/2 cup chopped herbs: Cilantro, Thai basil, mint, or a combination

Make the Nuoc Cham first so it has time for the flavors to blend while you prepare the skewers.

Toss the eggplant chunks with the canola oil and rice vinegar. Sprinkle liberally with salt and toss. They will soak up the marinade quickly. Thread them onto skewers.

Grill the eggplant over medium-high heat for about four minutes per side, turning the skewers once.

Serve the eggplant hot, topping with nuoc cham and sprinkling generously with the herbs.

Serves 2-4.

Grilled Steak with Shallot Butter

This is so simple it hardly counts as a recipe, but the shallot butter is addictively delicious while grilled steak is great all on its own, the shallot butter takes it to a higher plane. Should you end up with extra shallot butter, it's delicious on...well, almost anything savory that you can think of.

Grass fed steak of your choice to serve 4
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced

Blot the steak dry with a paper towel, then liberally season all over with salt and pepper.

Grill the steak over high heat for 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare.

While the steak grills, make the shallot butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet, then add the shallots and cook over medium heat until tender. They will be mouth-wateringly aromatic.

Serve the steak and top each serving with a generous spoonful of shallot butter at the table.

Serves 4.

Fire Roasted Eggplant

October is still eggplant season! Do up a few on the grill like this, maybe along with some red peppers, and make Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Sauce, a smoky version of Roasted Eggplant Garlic Dip, or make up some Roasted Eggplant Puree with Olive Oil. The fire roasted flesh is also nice just chopped up and added to pasta sauce, a lamb stew or curry, or pizza.

You can use any number of eggplants, depending on how much you plan to use, and virtually any type. Fatter ones will take a bit longer to roast than the skinny kind.

Wash eggplants and pierce in several places with a sharp knife. Leave the calyxes on.  Get the grill going nice and hot and roast the eggplants, turning once or twice, until black all over and very soft.

Remove blackened eggplants from the grill and let them cool.  When cool enough to handle, cut off the calyx end and slice open. Scoop out the flesh and use however you like.