Independence from...The Kitchen

Declare your independence from standing in front of the stove. There's lots of great food you can cook (and eat) outside. The best part is that clean-up's a cinch! I love summer! Honestly, I love almost everything about it...except for the bugs. Ever since I was a child I was delighted by the thought of being outside. I couldn't wait for the last day of school. Being from Oklahoma, summer meant "fun in the sun"! To escape the excessive heat, my life was centered around water. If I was not playing tennis, you could find me at the pool. The only way my parents could get me to eat was to fire up the BBQ and eat outdoors. Fortunately for me, the entire Swanson Family did not care for cold weather. Our summer vacations were spent in California where both of my grandparents lived. I was in heaven! The California weather was a welcome relief from the sweltering days and nights of Oklahoma. Another nice change from Oklahoma was the food. I have to admit, I love grilling hamburgers and hot dogs like everybody else, but there is nothing like a grilled peach! Here in California, the fruits and vegetables are plentiful. And since it feels like summer all year around, Californians have to spice it up on the "barbie". You would be surprised how many foods taste great when grilled. This month, Tastybaby wants to motivate our readers to get off the couch and go outside. Go to your local farmer's market and get inspired! I have put together some of my favorite recipes for you to try. The point is to have fun and enjoy the great outdoors!

4 servings
1 organic zucchini
1 organic yellow squash
1/2 organic red onion
1/2 organic yellow bell pepper
1/2 organic red bell pepper
16 organic asparagus spears
3/4 organic eggplant
1/2 cup Extra-virgin Olive oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Equipment:
2 Cookie Sheets
Pastry Brush

Preheat a grill to medium-high.
Cut vegetables into 1/2-inch thick slices. Mix Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar together in a small bowl. Dip the pastry brush in to the olive oil mixture. Brush mixture gently over the vegetable slices and asparagus. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn vegetable slices over and rotate asparagus, repeat process. Grill vegetables on a hot grill until tender and slightly charred. Grilled Vegetables may be served hot, or are tasty at room temperature too!

8 organic ears corn, silks removed, husks left on, and soaked in cold water for 20 minutes*
1/4 cup(4oz) organic unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 teaspoon of organic cayenne
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Heat grill to high. Remove corn from water and place on the grill.* Close cover and grill until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. While corn is grilling, mix butter and cayenne in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove husk and slather with cayenne butter.

*Soaking corn in cold water before it is grilled prevents the corn from burning.

10 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
10 wild-caught sea scallops (about 2 inches in diameter)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh organic thyme, chopped finely(may use dried)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
cayenne

Equipment:
10 metal grilling skewers

Preheat the grill to medium- high. Season each scallop with olive oil,
thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Wrap the sides of each scallop with
the prosciutto. Skewer the scallops with the metal skewers, so the
prosciutto will cling to the scallops. Grill each scallop for 2 to 3
minutes on each side, testing for firmness. Do not overcook! Remove
from the grill. You may serve the scallops with the skewer, or remove
it just before serving.

Grilled Organic Tenderloin with Portobello Mushroom Ragout

Grilled Tenderloin:
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
3-4lb organic beef tenderloin, tied by the butcher
1/4 cup of fresh organic rosemary, chopped fine
1/2 cup cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sprigs of fresh organic rosemary for garnish

Mushroom Ragout:
1 1/2 pounds fresh organic portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped organic shallots
1/2 cup finely diced organic tomatoes, with the seeds removed*
2/3 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 cup organic beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh organic basil
1/2 cup chopped organic fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Marinate the steaks: Rub steaks with garlic clove, chopped rosemary, salt and cracked pepper. Marinate the tenderloin at room temperature in olive oil Worcestershire sauce for 1 hour, minimum. If marinating overnight-- leave out the salt, take out the tenderloin one hour before grilling and then add the salt.

For the mushroom ragout: Grill mushrooms whole, then coarsely chop into 3/4-inch cubes. Pour olive oil in pan, add mushrooms and shallots, and saute until soft.
*While the shallots and mushrooms are cooking, chop the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in quarters. Using your knife, cut out the inner part with the seeds. The seeds can add a bitter taste to a sauce, and that's not tasty!
Add tomatoes, heavy cream, and stock. Simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes. Add herbs and seasonings and remove from heat. Keep warm. If preparing in advance, set aside and warm ragout on low heat later.

Grilling the beef tenderloin: Let beef stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Prepare barbecue (high heat). Pat beef dry with paper towels; brush with oil. using all of mixture (coating will be thick). Place beef on grill; sear 2 minutes on all sides. Reduce heat to medium-high. Grill uncovered until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of beef registers 130°F for medium-rare, moving beef to cooler part of grill as needed to prevent burning, and turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer to platter; cover loosely with foil and let rest 15 minutes. Thinly slice beef crosswise.

Spoon ragout on a platter or individual plates. Fan tenderloin on top of ragout . Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve with grilled veggies or side dish of your choice.

Grilled Peaches

4 servings

4 ripe medium organic peaches
1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract
1 teaspoon organic lemon juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 to 2 pints frozen vanilla yogurt(organic if available)
Fresh organic mint for garnish

Method:
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Toss them in a bowl with the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes while you preheat a grill with a medium-high heat. Grill skin side down until skin is slightly charred, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill on the other side until you get nice grill marks, about 1 minute on each side.
Serve the peaches with a scoop of frozen yogurt in place of the pit. Drizzle leftover brown sugar mixture. Garnish with fresh mint.