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| Roasting peppers at the Carrboro Farmers' Market |
Yesterday marked our first year in Chapel Hill. As you may know, both Steve and I are California natives, as were our parents. So picking up and moving cross-country was no small thing. But we did it. And despite the fact that we miss our friends we are truly glad we did.
Slowly but surely we are meeting new people and establishing new routines. We have learned about the seasons and understand their allure. The humidity thing wasn’t as bad as it was cracked up to be. However, I have learned that I am a human magnet for any kind of insect that bites. Seriously, forget the bug spray – just invite me to your next outdoor party and your guests will be bite free!
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| Come and get it! |
As I’ve noticed before, it dawned on me that I smile more here. Winding my way through the farmers’ market, shouting “hey” to my brother I passed him and his family heading to the lake on their bikes, strolling down Franklin Street after getting my hair cut, and waving “thanks” to the Southern Gentleman who let me turn left into the line of cars leaving a shopping center – something that happens all the time here. Yes, Chapel Hill is a happy place for me to be.
We ended the day by breaking in the new deck we just had built off the screen porch. My brother and his family came over, Steve fired up the grill (I’m finally starting to get used to not calling it a BBQ, which in the South refers to the food not the method of cooking) and we enjoyed a long leisurely evening together.
Today, I’ll share a couple of recipes from the dinner we served. I hope you try them and smile.
Enjoy.
Favorite Marinade
(Mainly used for beef and pork, but surprisingly good on chicken)
Ingredients:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ soy sauce
1 1/2 TBS herbs d’ Provence (if you don’t have it on hand - as was the case for me yesterday - you can actually substitute poultry seasoning – go figure!)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Big pinch of salt
6 – 10 grinds of black pepper
1 bay leaf
Method:
- Put all ingredients in a large plastic zip bag
- Add meat
- Mush around to coat
- Stash in ‘fridge
(I marinade tri tip roasts 2 hours to over night; pork chops for a couple hours and surprisingly, chicken does well with this but I only marinade it for 30 minutes to 1 hour)
- Grill meat as normal.
For a 2.5 pound tri-tip on a gas grill: sear on high heat and then drop to medium-off-medium with the lid closed for 30 minutes then check with an instant read thermometer. You should be at around 140 for medium rare/150 for medium (if you want it well done, skip the grill and go buy some jerky).
- Tent with foil for 10 minutes then slice thin.
Serve with Roasted Mixed Pepper Relish
Roasted Mixed Pepper Relish
(This one was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, but she uses only red and yellow bell peppers and does not include garlic)
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 anaheim pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
- 1 large clove garlic, grated on microplane or finely diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Method:
- Grill the peppers until charred; preferably over an open flame, but you can also use the broiler. My farmers’ market has a guy who does this for you – he’s very popular!
- Put the peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait at least 10 minutes.
- When the peppers are cool enough to handle, scrape off the charred skin
- Cut open and scrape out the seeds and the ribs
- Slice into thin strips
- Put the pepper strips, capers, olive oil, garlic and parsley in a glass bowl. Stir to combine thoroughly
- Season with a pinch of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Cover with plastic wrap and stash in the ‘fridge until It’s time to serve.
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