Focaccia
Olive bread, walnut bread and various crackers for a cheese plate with dried cranberries and roasted almonds (Yum, morning fog with cranberries…)
Fresh vegetables and dips.
Chips and salsa
Rolls and buns for sandwiches
Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella di buffalo. There is a woman at the farmer’s market who has the most amazing early tomatoes.
Thinly sliced raw summer squash (the squash lady has lovely Turkish squash that is great raw – crunchy and nutty) with shaved pecorino cheese, mint, lime, and grapeseed oil.
A room-temperature Lebanese potato salad called Batata Harra (with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, red bell peppers, cilantro, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.)
My husband will make his amazing smoked paprika pasta salad with homemade mayonnaise.
Beet salad with, honey walnuts, mandarin oranges, and a walnut/orange juice vinaigrette topped with salted “spaghetti” cucumber.
Thin sliced avocados with lime juice and a neutral oil.
Roasted vegetables are cooked before the guests arrive.
Start with a blazing hot fire with the coals still in the center, brush wide squat, cut in half, onions with olive oil, salt and pepper and put them on the grill cut side down away from direct flames. Close the lid.
Fire up the little gas grill.
While the coals are still hot but less apt to flare up, spread them out, move the onions to the center, turn cut side up, brush with more oil; and add halved globe eggplants, cut side down brushed with toasted sesame oil, towards the outside edge of the grill (these will be served sprinkled with diced papaya and picante paprika and yogurt/buttermilk sauce on the side.) Close the lid.
The gas grill should be 500 degrees by now (it gets up to 700 which we will use later). Lay whole gold and red peppers on the gas grill and char the skins, turning frequently. When evenly charred, remove and toss into paper bags to cool down and steam the skins for easier removal.
While doing this go back to the coal grill… the onions should be bubbling. Move the onions to the outside edge and put the eggplants, cut side up, in the center. We want their skins to be crackly. Put whole portobello mushrooms, cap side down, brushed with oil, salt, and lots of fresh cracked pepper between the eggplants and onions. Close the lid. And continue tending to the bell peppers.
Back to the coal grill. Turn the mushrooms over, check the eggplants, remove them if done – they should be close or just a few more minutes, leave the onions on. Close the lid.
When the eggplants are done, add halved meaty firm tomatoes skin side down, the cut tops brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a mixture of panko and herbs. Check the mushrooms – they should be done or close to done. Close the lid.
Back to the gas grill, using a grill pan, toss in whole baby bok choy that has been soaking in soy sauce, maggi’s seasoning, and light sesame oil. Cook until the edges are charred. Then add scallions and cook until done.
Back to the coal grill. Onions will be soft, sweet, and tender and the tomatoes bubbling. Remove them. Shut down the grills.
All of these can be eaten by themselves or in a sandwich. Finish the skinning the peppers, slice them and the mushrooms and the eggplant and the bulb part of the bok choy.
Assemble a sandwich station with rolls and buns the roasted vegetables and various sauces and condiments. Raita and tahini are good choices. As is a nice fruity olive oil to brush on the bread. Along with the roasted onions, I’ll have some home-made refrigerator pickles, some caramelized onions, seaweed salad, kimchi, seasoned baked tofu, sauerkraut, radish sprouts, watercress, and crushed sweet and hot cherry peppers.
After setting up the sandwich station, I’ll set up a flat bread baking station with an assortment of fresh and wild mushrooms, melt –y cheeses, and thin sliced vegetables.
When the guests start to arrive, put the pizza stone on the little gas grill, heat to 700 degrees in order to make little flat bread pizzas.
I’ll also fire up the big gas grill for vegan burgers and sausages, grilled watermelon for grilled watermelon burgers, grilled pineapple, and corn on the cob.
Party starts at 2:00. Grills shut down at 5:00. Shot of Bulleit and a glass of Guinness starts at 5:00:01
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