BELLOWS FALLS — The farmers' markets and farm stands are open. The trees have leafed out, and summer is finally here. We've uncovered the grill, stocked up on charcoal, and set up our outside kitchen.
The barbeque season has begun.
A cookout can be as simple as throwing some fresh veggies on the grill for a dinner side or inviting the neighborhood for a party. Few would disagree that a favorite summer barbeque technique is cooking food on sticks.
From shish kebabs and savory skewers to ice pops or candy apples, if you put food on a stick, the dish is no longer ordinary.
My granddaughter says we all love food on a stick simply because it is fun. She's right. This cooking tradition spans history back to the first time we gathered around a fire and cooked the catch of the day on long sticks, a communal task that was as enjoyable as the eating.
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Shish kebabs can be anything from a simple pressing of seasoned meat onto a bamboo spear, to threading an elaborate amount of prepped vegetables, fruits, and meats onto fancy skewers.
The place to start is at the market, gathering whatever is freshest and best on that day. It might be new patty pan squash, the first potatoes of the season, sweet white turnips, or colorful carrots. They will all work together with the right approach.
While these skewered meals promise to be the most delightful dish to make and eat, more often than not they disappoint. The problem is getting everything to cook at the same time. We want to satisfy our artistic side, but we mingle foods that require vastly different cooking times, from hard baby onions to delicate cherry tomatoes!
And when you spear seafood, the problem is even more pressing, because fish can go from perfect to overcooked in seconds - even before there is any of the wonderful browning we crave. This recipe avoids these challenges.
In addition to whatever kebab I'm making, I usually prepare plenty of veggie skewers as well, both to serve and to save for salads later in the week. These are one of my favorite “planned leftovers,” and the farm stands and farmers' markets are ready to contribute a basketful of possibilities.
This recipe lets you mix and match shrimp, scallops, and salmon for the protein, mixed with vegetables that cook at different times and enhanced with an infused olive oil to add flavor.
The season of wonderful local vegetables is upon us, so put your hunter-gatherer cap on and seek out something delicious for the grill.
If you like, save the shrimp shells, scallop muscles, and vegetable trimmings to make a lovely seafood stock. Just add water to cover, bring all the trimmings to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, and use or freeze.
This is how I made my kebabs recently, but adjust according to what you find that is good, just use a firm fish such as salmon, tuna, or swordfish.
Shrimp, scallop, and salmon shish kebabs
This recipe makes one dozen hearty kebabs!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small pot, combine and heat to a simmer:
¶{1/3} cup extra virgin olive oil
¶4 fat cloves of garlic, finely minced
¶2 sprigs of tarragon or rosemary
¶Pinch of red pepper flakes
Set this aside to infuse.
Now, prep your seafood and vegetables.
Peel and de-vein:
¶24 jumbo wild shrimp
Cut into 12 even pieces, leaving the skin on:
¶1 lb. wild salmon, or other firm fish
If the salmon has a thinner “belly,” trim and save for another use, or double it up on itself to create a thicker piece.
Remove the little abductor muscle from:
¶24 dry New England sea scallops
Gather and cut into uniform size:
¶1 sweet red pepper
¶12 cremini mushrooms, whole
¶1 purple onion
¶2 small zucchini (local are luscious right now)
¶12 slices lemon
¶12 cherry tomatoes
Cut the onion into “petals” about the size that will fit nicely on the skewer; do the same with the pepper. Cut off the end of the zucchini or summer squash, then cut into scallop-sized pieces.
Heat a shallow pan in the preheated oven. Brush lightly with oil, and add the onion and pepper pieces. If you are using new, baby potatoes, add these at the same time.
Bake for about five minutes, then add the mushrooms. Continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes. You will want the vegetables to just start to soften slightly, with no color.
If the mushrooms are really small, do not precook them, but it is better to look for mushrooms about the size of the sea scallops.
Now the fun - assembling the skewers. I like to thread all of them in the same order, but it is not essential. The shrimp will be more stable if you curl up each one and spear it twice. By doing so, they will cook in the same amount of time as the scallops.
Save the cherry tomatoes for a fresh accent at the end; if you cook them, they will disintegrate. Yes, I've learned this the hard way.
Thread the lemon slices on their own skewers so you can control the cooking time and browning.
Strain the infused oil, and brush both sides of the skewers liberally. This is a really important step to ensure the protein does not stick.
Time and stress saver: You can stop here and refrigerate the assembled skewers to cook later in the day if you are having folks over. Then the cooking will take only a few moments!
Heat your charcoal or gas grill, and clean the cooking surface. Brush with vegetable oil, and you are ready to cook.
Place the kebabs over indirect heat, and do not fuss with them! When a protein is ready to turn, it will release easily, but not before. Turn only once.
Once the kebabs are done, add the cherry tomatoes to the end as a fresh garnish. Remove the lemon slices to a bowl and pass so folks can squeeze to their own liking.
I made these for my family recently and served them up with a quick sauce. It was a hit.
Sauce for shish kebabs
Mix:
¶{1/3} cup mayonnaise
¶{1/4} cup marmalade
¶2 Tbsp. coarse-grained mustard
¶2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
¶1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, finely minced