I've been laying on the ground a lot lately. Way too much, in fact. The garden is full of weeds. Every time I clean up a patch and turn around they've grown back. Tricky things those weeds. And in between cleaning out each patch I lie down on the cool, very green grass and stretch out my lower back which seems to be in a constant state of rebellion. I try to pull weeds and carefully hoe between the rows of peas and lettuce and quickly-growing tomatoes, but no matter how gently or vigorously I weed my back seems angry with me.
But there is, of course, the pay off. Every evening as I pick a huge basket full of greens — mesclun mix, baby romaine, fennel fronds, basil, peas, arugula, and more — I laugh. Take that, sore back! I'll make a gorgeous salad and it will all be worth it. And it is. Until the next morning when my back starts aching again.
All this rain has provided me with a happy, healthy garden. We're already picking the first of the raspberries and the garlic is tall and strong, with scapes a plenty. The leeks and scallions are huge for early July, and I can't remember ever having such healthy looking tomato plants — all 50 of them.
I've been experimenting quite a bit with grilling vegetables from the garden. Big news here is that I just purchased a gas grill. I've never owned a gas grill. I was always of the mindset that people who grilled over gas were rather like people who had gas fireplaces. Not quite the real thing, you know? I know it may sound shocking that a professional cook has never understood the glories of a gas grill, but it;'s the truth. I didn‚t know.
For decades I have grilled over charcoal and wood and, despite the fact that I had to plan dinner an hour before we wanted to eat and make sure we always had charcoal and matches and dry newspaper, I felt like a purist. But we broke down and got a fancy looking gas grill (we call it "the rocket" since it's stainless steel and big and shiny with fancy looking knobs and burners). And, for me, it's a culinary revelation. This "rocket" works so quickly and efficiently, and everything I grill seems to taste every bit as good as it did over charcoal. Am I imagining it, or does it taste even better?
The other night I had a beautiful collection of vegetables from my garden supplemented by ones from the farmer's market. Fresh-dug asparagus, the first new baby zucchini and summer squash, cherry tomatoes, baby fennel bulbs, and tiny leeks. I fired up the new grill (wow, look 5 minutes later it's ready!) and brought out a small bowl of olive oil, sea salt, and a pepper mill. I put the vegetables on the grill, brushed them lightly with the oil and salt and pepper and 10 minutes later we had a gorgeous grilled vegetable platter. I stared at it in amazement. I am totally hooked on gas.
Then last night I grilled a boneless pork roast, coated it in a simple spice rub, and placed it over indirect heat on the grill. (Indirect heat simply involves heating side burners and leaving the middle burner off. You sear the meat and then place it over the burner that is shut off, close the lid, and let the grill cook the meat in the same way an oven might do.) The result: juicy, moist pork. Total time: under one hour. No hassle. No overheated kitchen.
Whether you cook on charcoal, gas, or wood give this spicy, juicy pork roast a try. Serve with a fresh garden salad, grilled garden vegetables, and you‚ll find that even a sore back feels better.
Grilled Spice-Encrusted Boneless Pork Roast
Place the spice mixture on the pork at least 1 hour before grilling; it can sit, covered and refrigerated, for up to 8 hours.
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons dry rosemary
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons mild chile powder
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
One 2 1/2 pound boneless pork roast
Place the fennel seeds and rosemary in a coffee or spice grinder and whirl until finely chopped. Place in a small bowl and mix with the ginger, chile power, brown sugar, pepper, and salt. Pat the spice mixture all over the pork; let sit for 1 to 8 hours.
Preheat the grill to 400 degrees. If using charcoal, push the hot charcoal off to both sides leaving the middle of the barbecue empty. If using gas, turn on all the burners except for the middle burner.
Sear the pork on both sides over the hot charcoal or burner until golden brown. Place the pork, fat side up, in the middle section of the grill that does not have direct heat. Cook at 400 degrees about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 140 to 145 degrees. Let sit about 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with chutney or salsa. Serves 4 to 6.
Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 in Permalink
