Fire up the grill for Father's Day

Nothing says love to Dad like outdoor cooking. By JESSIE GIRVIN

Every year at our house we host a big cookout to honor the dads. I thought it would be fitting to share some of my favorite grilled meat and veggie treats to kick off the barbecue season.

First, steak! Most men I know have a carnivorous side and are more than happy to eat a grilled steak in their honor. I found this interesting steak rub recipe a while back, and it has been a hit with men and women alike.

Espresso Rubbed Steaks
1 tsp. finely ground espresso
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. steak seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
4 (4-oz.) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
Combine espresso, brown sugar and seasoning in a small bowl. Rub mixture evenly over both sides of steaks. Add steaks to preheated grill. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
For the chicken lovers out there, this marinade is a snap to put together. Although it seems exotic with curry and cumin, this chicken is a crowd pleaser, even with finicky eaters.

Curried Chicken Kebabs
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
6 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken, mixing to coat all pieces. Marinate for 30 to 60 minutes. Place chicken on skewers, and place skewers on preheated grill. Discard marinade. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
For those looking for a vegetarian barbecue treat, I highly recommend these grilled portabella mushroom caps. Marinating the mushrooms makes them juicy and flavorful. Serve on a toasted whole wheat bun with ketchup and mustard or dress it up a bit with goat cheese and grilled red pepper. Either way, you won’t miss the meat.

Marinated Portabella Mushroom Caps
4 large portabella mushroom caps, approx. 4” in diameter
2 Tbs. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash the mushroom caps and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients to a large Ziploc bag. Seal and squeeze to mix. Add the mushroom caps. Reseal the bag, turning to coat mushrooms. Let marinate for 30 to 60 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove mushrooms from bag and place on a preheated grill that has been coated with cooking spray. Discard marinade. Grill 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Jessie Girvin is a freelance writer who lives in Manchester.

Local Kitchens: gourmet spiced nuts

As chef and owner of House on the Hill Nuts, Ann Sager’s life is, well, nutty. But that’s just fine with her.
House on the Hill offers a unique, mouth-watering selection of pecans all prepared by hand in Sager’s state-certified kitchen in Bedford.

She offers five varieties of her deliciously spiced gourmet pecans. The standard spiced pecans come in regular and sugar-free varieties. Then there is H’ole Mole, a spiced pecan with a “Mexican chocolate heat.”
“A nicely spiced nut, but not spicy hot,” Sager said of the H’ole Mole nuts. “Instead, the flavor provides a subtle warmth.”

The Family Jewels are pecans spiced with crystallized ginger, and Sager’s personal favorite, the Jamocha Nuts, are flavored with coarsely ground espresso beans and rich dark cocoa.

“It’s a unique blend of sweet and savory, with the richness of the cocoa and the bitterness of the espresso. It’s a very complex set of flavors, but it’s like a party in your mouth,” Sager said of the Jamocha Nuts.

If this eclectic assortment has your mouth watering, you can purchase House on the Hill Nuts for yourself, or maybe even for Dad, at several retail locations throughout New Hampshire. For a complete list of retailers or to order online, visit www.HouseontheHillNuts.com.

– Jessie Girvin

In season: strawberries

June is strawberry season in New Hampshire. Although we can buy strawberries in the supermarket almost year-round, nothing beats the taste of a fresh, locally grown strawberry picked at the peak of freshness. When ripe, this hardy relative of the rose is juicy, sweet and vibrant red. It’s a perfect building block for summer treats.

Picking your own strawberries is a great way to get extra enjoyment from these succulent berries. The picking season usually beings mid-June, around Father’s Day, and lasts a short three to four weeks on a good year.

When asked about this year’s crop of berries, Christie McQuesten of McQuesten’s Farm in Litchfield said, “It looks excellent this year. We have tons and tons of blossoms.”

Strawberries freeze well, so pick with abandon. Simply wash the berries, trim the greens and place individually on a cookie sheet. Freeze for one to two hours on the cookie sheet before moving to Ziploc bags. This step prevents the berries from freezing in a clump.

There are many pick-your-own strawberry farms throughout the state. To find the one closest to you, visit www.pickyourown.org/NH.htm.

If, however, picking is not for you, don’t miss out on this seasonal treat. Pick up a pint from a local farm stand or farmer’s market.

– Jessie Girvin

Want to talk about What’s Cookin’ in your kitchen or around New Hampshire? E-mail Jessie at whatscookin@thenhmirror.com.