Last minute planning turns out tasty cookout spread
Last minute. That’s me in a nutshell. So, it wasn’t an unlikely scenario that we, in the Harr household, decided on Friday evening that we would have a cookout on Monday, and invite about a dozen people.
Although the cookout was my idea, I had no clue what was going to be on the menu, and, since my husband was working most of the weekend, it was up to me to plan everything.
I procrastinated through Saturday and most of Sunday, and when Sunday evening rolled around, figured I best start making some plans, lest our guests sit before an empty grill the next day.
Gabriel, our 2-year-old, was more than happy to offer opinions.
He thought I should serve whipped cream out of the can (he calls it cake) and bottles of milk. While that might satisfy him, I was fairly certain that it wouldn’t tide over the adults who came to eat real food.
By Sunday night, I had settled on a traditional menu of burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, corn on the cob and pan-grilled S’mores. It was an easy-to-prepare meal that suited well my habitual procrastination.
Off to the store we went, where Gabriel adamantly insisted that we should buy a Power Rangers table cloth, plates and cups from the children’s party section.
His favorite adoptive “aunt” Mamy (Amy) and “uncle,” Teve (Steve) wanted them, he told me.
Ten minutes and a whispered lecture about in-store dramatics later, we left the party section of the store to buy food.
Cooking, it turned out, was a breeze.
After I added my spices to the burgers, my mini Power Ranger pitched in by mixing them for me. (Apparently there is a bright spot in boys’ penchants for getting dirty.)
TASTY TATER SALAD
10 potatoes, boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces (skins optional)
6 eggs, hardboiled and chopped
4 garden onions, whites and greens sliced
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon red vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut up the potatoes raw and boil them in salted water for about 15 minutes.
The potatoes should be firm, not mushy.
Combine mayo, vinegar, mustard, parsley and spices in a small bowl. Taste dressing and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Toss dressing with potatoes, eggs and onions and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
BASIC BURGERS
5 pounds ground beef
1/2 package Adolph’s meat marinade, dry
3-4 grinds of salt
5-6 grinds of pepper
2-3 sprinkles of curry
Mix burger and ingredients together, careful not to overwork the meat.
Form into patties, yields 15-18 burgers, depending on thickness. Grill over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on how you like them done.
FUSS-LESS CORN
12 ears of corn, husks on
Butter
Fresh parsley
Toss unpeeled corn into a tub of icy water for at least two hours, and up to 24 hours. Drain, and cut off exposed silk. Immediately put on a grill over medium-high heat. The outsides will burn, so turn the corn often. After about 25 minutes, it will be done. Set it out for your guests to peel themselves.
Jennifer Harr is the court reporter for the Herald-Standard. E-mail questions, recipes to jharr@heraldstandard.com, or write to Jennifer Harr, Herald-Standard, 8-18 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401.