Thursday, the 14th of July 2016

The Veggies & Pesto Bread

Last Thursday, cousin Julie's daughter, Lauren, came out to CT (from NYC where she lives) with a bunch of her buddies and so we gathered for dinner*. They were on their way to Nantucket for a little R&R and stopped for the night in CT, well until 4am on Friday morning when they left for said vacation stop. As always, with any of our kids, Lauren had requests for the din-din she would have before departure. On the menu were the grilled veggies and pesto bread you see above, along with grilled shrimp (which I totally didn't photograph, darn it!). The meal was excellent, and the shrimp, tho delicious, superfluous as far as I was concerned!

On the menu: 

1 - Grilled Shrimp

2 - Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

3 - Grilled Mixed Veggies

4 - Grilled Pesto Bread

5 - Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes w/Burrata Cheese

6 - No dessert

1 - Clean and shell the shrimp. Melt butter in a bowl and add Old Bay Seasoning. Toss with the shrimp. In a grill basket, grill the shrimp, tossing continually, over a hot fire. Remove and cover with foil until serving. 

2 & 3 - Toss the portobello's and veggies, in this case, carrots, zucchini, onions and those tiny ~mini-sweets~ peppers, with a good Italian vinaigrette - if you don't have a favorite recipe, use Good Seasons packets mixed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Grill over medium-high heat all until done. Place on a platter or platters and drizzle all with balsamic glaze. These are all delicious served at room temperature. 

4 - Cut in half a loaf of good quality Italian bread. Heavily smear the bread with a good, fresh pesto, either homemade, or in Julie's case (and mine if I were making it), Stew Leonard's fresh pesto. Grill over medium heat until the bread is browning and the pesto beginning to ~melt~. Slice and serve either warm or at room temperature. 

5 - Slice the tomatoes and arrange around a round of pulled apart burrata cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Be sure tomatoes are at room temperature. 

6 - Dessert....again a no go (sigh)

~~~

See you on Sunday!!

~

*Gathered 'round: niece Lauren and four of her friends, nephew Connor, and cousins Julie, Andy and Mike & me!