Good Day For It

[NashVegas]

This morning I got up bright and early, did my poking around and went for a 3 mile hike with a friend, into the hills.

Decided to reward myself with some crab cakes tonight, and when I got to the grocers found out that not only did they have bonafide Boston steamers (in 15 years, I've never seen steamers in Nashville), but the Vidalias were also in, and on sale.

Some Vidalia is already in with the chilling crab stuff, the rest will go into a soup, I think. (Oh and I also snagged about 10 lbs beef bones.)

The steamers made an awesome lunch. Just straight up, with butter.

How's everyone doing?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. We just did some spectacular chicken,

done with a new rub that turned out to be perfect! They were so good, there are none left and a demand for more tomorrow - another hot day coming. Fortunately, I got lots more chicken.

Vidalias are here, too, at half a buck a pound. Great big beauties that I rubbed with olive oil and some sat, wrapped in foil, and just grilled until they were soft. My friend who put me onto that idea said it was like eating "a vegetable made of butter," and he was right.

As stuffed as I am, I could put away a large bucket of steamers with drawn butter right now. The whole damn bucket. You are, indeed, blessed.

I've still got two big slabs of baby back ribs, but I think I'll rub them down tomorrow, and they should be ready for dinner on Monday.

Spring has sprung! It was 90 degrees here in the DC area today!

[NashVegas]

2. Sounds Glorious

Yeah, we have them at Teeter's, .49 per pound. Good price. It's weird, in previous years they've been available almost all year round but as their popularity has soared, they disappear for 5-6 months.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. They startted out as seasonal -

I remember back in the early eighties, when the Vidalia season was April, and that was it.

Then, about - what? - ten years ago, they became pretty much year-round. Maybe ten months out of the year - none in the winter, December, January.

But, when I found those babies at our local HT - which is a gorgeous flagship store - I went berserk. Each one weighs about a pound. I can eat one - raw - every day, slices on everything. I even bought extra hot dogs, buns, relish, and mustard, simply to serve as a platform for the Vidalias.

Try that baked (grilled, whatever) onion trick, with the olive oil and the foil. It's phenomenal.

I'm gonna need more Vidalias in a few days ........................

[NashVegas]

4. Aye

My mom started getting them (seasonal) in the early 1990s when they were new to the northeast.

I'll try the baked/roasted/whatever very soon. I make a soup that's Vidalia and not much else.

the crab cakes came out .. okay. Good for an appetizer, but not exactly satisfying:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Mini-Crab-Cakes-352041

(I used way more crab than the recipe called for. Chose this because I never made them before and it looked REALLY easy.)

[Stinky The Clown]

5. We had the kids over for dinner last night and today we reaped the rewards

All the planned leftovers.

The star last night was the ribs. Smokey ribs with a Memphis dry rib. They got mostly eaten and StinkyJr1 took home what was left.

The real goodies were all on the side.

Grilled red peppers. I have NO idea why, but these, from Mexico, were sweet as candy.

Grilled asparagus.

Grilled Vidalias. The size of small automobile wheels.

Smokey BBQ 16-20 (honest to gawd Amurikin, wild caught) Gulf shrimp.


That became tonight's supper

Sparkly made a pound of De Cecco penne. Chilled as soon as it was cooked. Fresh herbs, fresh (incredibly sweet) cherry tomato halves, salt and pepper, Balsamico and olive oil, and cut up shrimp and vegetables.

We ate around 7.30. It was still 78 outside, very pleasant. A nice, pleasant, unremarkable Spanish red table wine. The dogs lying still. The sun just about down ......

[pengillian101]

6. Sounds divine! n/t

[NashVegas]

7. That Sounds Wonderful

We really need a DU foodie vacation sometime. Rent a big-ass chalet somewhere. I appoint you Meat Guy.

[ginnyinWI]

8. sounds great!

We contented ourselves with homemade vegetable-bean soup and homemade bread on this rainy Saturday night.

[NashVegas]

9. Mmmm. Yum

Sorry your weather suxored, but otherwise looks like you did well :)

[grasswire]

10. a chicken, half a bottle of Soy Vay, a dutch oven

...on top of the stove for two hours until the chicken was falling off the bones. Brown rice. Stir fried broccoli with water chestnuts and sesame seeds and ginger and garlic and toasted sesame oil.

I started the chicken breast down and turned it halfway through. It wasn't quite peppy enough, so I served Mae Ploy pink sauce alongside.