Eat at Home: First BBQ of the Summer

There’s no doubt about it: LA is having the weirdest summer weather in recent history. It’s all anyone can talk about (just check your Facebook if you don’t believe me). So, when we finally got a brilliantly sunny and warm Sunday, we couldn’t resist—we had to throw a barbecue!

I served my own mixed drink creation to get the party started. I’ve named this the Maker’s Peachy Palmer. It’s a mix of Maker’s Mark, peach iced tea, and homemade lemonade. Honey was also involved. Not to brag, but it was pretty delicious. Recipe after the jump.

Along with these veggies, we also grilled some succulent chicken and lamb from Glendale’s Central Grand Market (Map It). This small market has a great selection of meat and a deli case that features some of the dreamiest hummus, labneh (check out my GCM-inspired shallot yogurt post), eggplant dishes and feta varieties around.

They also make and sell sangak, a giant slab of flat bread that’s made with a combination of wheat and white flour and has a slight sourdough flavor. Its crispy-in-some-parts-chewy-in-others texture is made even more interesting with poppy and sesame seeds. We tore (literally) through it with gusto. It was a perfect match for the meat.

A friend of mine brought these delectable and photogenic Spicy Candied Brussel Sprouts. I couldn’t believe how delicious they were. Savory and sweet, they kept beckoning me back even long after I vowed to stop eating them. It’s fine though, they’re just brussel sprouts, right? Shhh…ixnay on the ugarsay! You can find the recipe after the jump.

Dessert! This simple and astonishingly tasty Mixed Berry Salad was another friend offering. Poured over vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect way to end the meal. Recipe after the jump.

-Valentina

Grand Central Market
1215 N Central Ave,
Glendale, CA 91202
Recipes:

Spicy Candied Brussel Sprouts
4 cups brussel sprouts, halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
1t garlic powder
1t onion powder
1t salt
1/4t ground black pepper
1/4t cayenne pepper
4T olive oil
Toss all together, bake on greased cookie sheet 30 min at 400 degrees/until caramelized.

Maker’s Peachy Palmer
3 peach iced tea bags
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 T honey
1 cup of Maker’s Mark
Steep 3 tea bags in 6 cups of hot water. Let sit until luke warm. Squeeze out all water from tea bag. Add lemon juice, sugar and Maker’s Mark. Stir and add enough water to fill jug. These are really just approximate measurements. Add all ingredients to suit your own tastes. Keep tasting until you get it to where you want it. Serve over ice.

Mixed Berry Salad -adapted from a Food Network recipe.
1 pint strawberries, cut in half
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (buy or make from scratch-recipe here)
1/4 cup sugar
Whisk the liquids together, then add berries. Serve over ice cream or angel food cake.