Labor Day Weekend Barbeque

Labor Day Weekend is upon us—time to celebrate the end and the beginning. Like bookends, Memorial Day and Labor Day encase the summer and define our more leisurely life style as opposed to the structured routine. Not everyone follows this seasonal switch but I am guessing just about everyone is affected by it. If you don’t have children starting school, you are probably putting your boat to bed or closing the cabin, or at the very least changing the wardrobe.


What more fitting way to celebrate the end of summer than a holiday established for the laboring classes to relax? Hey, what about the cooks? Aren’t they laborers? Of course. So what easy, leisurely, celebratory meal can we devise to make everyone happy?

First of all, fire up the barbeque. This will signal that the regular, everyday cook at your house (be it guy or gal) is giving someone else the helm and letting him (her) have a starring role. You might even want to invest in a really handsome apron for the stand-in cook. Play it up and get one with Attitude (available on sale at The Galley Room). I’m not above any manipulations to have a day off.

You may have to do the menu plan and the shopping, however. Let’s make it simple so he (she) will do it again next year and delicious so he (she) will get lots of positive feedback, making it a certainty that you will get a repeat performance. And a little out-of-the-ordinary, allowing the chef some oohs and aahs, “how did you make this” and other such shameless pandering. In the interest of labor saving, wonderful bottled barbeque sauces, salsas, rubs, and wood chips (have you tried apple?) are available in gourmet kitchen shops and some supermarkets.

Labor Day Barbeque

Marinated Shrimp on skewers
Barbequed Pork Chops with Black Pepper-onion Sauce
Potato-onion packets
Corn grilled in husks with lime and butter
Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Basil Dressing
Grilled pineapple with Rum Sauce on vanilla ice cream


Marinated Shrimp on skewers

Makes 8-10 appetizer servings

Marinade:

One-half cup olive oil
One-half finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 and one-half tsp. hot pepper sauce
One-half tsp. salt
One-half tsp. pepper
2 # raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

Marinate shrimp for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat

Put shrimp on skewers (soaked if bamboo) and grill for 2 and one-half minutes per side, brushing with extra marinade.


Barbequed Pork Chops with Black Pepper-onion Sauce

Prepare grill

Put 6-8 three-quarter-inch-thick pork chops on grill and brush with bottled black pepper-onion barbeque sauce (I used Cherith Valley Gardens brand available at The Galley Room on Main Street) turning occasionally and brushing with sauce (can use sauce mop) until brown and internal temp is 155F on instant-read thermometer (15-20 minutes, total) . Serve with warm extra sauce on the side.

Potato-Onion Packets

Slice 6 potatoes about one-fourth inch thick and put into large square double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Slice two large sweet onions onto the foil. Top with 1 Tbsp. butter and salt and pepper to taste. Wrap foil securely. Put 6 inches from coils and turn halfway through cooking. Grill for 40 minutes.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Basil Dressing

Serves 8

3 large tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large garden cucumber, peeled, cut into chunks
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. sugar
One-fourth cup chopped fresh basil

Combine vinegar, oil and seasonings. Whisk. Pour over cucumbers and tomatoes. Let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Corn on the Cob with lime butter

6-8 ears corn, husks stripped down, silks removed, husks returned to cover cobs.
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper

Soak ears of corn in water for 10 minutes. Use a piece of husk to tie the husks at the top of the ear. Place on grill and cover; cook, turning, until husks are charred, 10 minutes. Remove and pull husks back. Return corn to grill, keeping husks off heat. Cover; cook, turning, until kernels are charred in spots, 10-15 minutes. Serve with butter and wedges of lime.

Grilled Pineapple with Rum Sauce

1 large, ripe pineapple, peel removed, cored and cut into slices, one-half inch thick.
Three-fourths cup brown sugar (packed)
One-half cup rum
One-third cup butter

Put sugar, rum and butter in saucepan and cook on medium heat until mixture boils; remove from heat. Lay pineapple slices (makes about 8) flat in large Pyrex pan that will accommodate them and pour sauce over pineapple slices. Heat grill. Place pineapple slices on grill, about 6 inches from coals and grill, turning, until pineapple is browned, but not burned. Remove and cut into tidbits. Return tidbits and sauce to sauce pan and reheat to bubbling. Serve on very hard vanilla ice cream.

This menu should keep everyone happy and relaxed, using a minimum of labor for a maximum eating experience—enjoy!