Jan Norris: Food and Florida

By Debbie Moose, columnist

Debbie Moose: A Gal and Her Grill

I tell you, nothing wears me out more on a hot day than running in and out of the house to tend both the grill and what’s cooking in the house. The solution: Cook the whole meal on the grill. It just takes a little planning.

Grilled tomato starter

Make an appetizer of grilled stuffed tomatoes. Cut palm-sized tomatoes in half, scoop them out, then mix some of the tomato (minus seeds) with goat cheese, basil or oregano, and fine bread crumbs. Stuff the tomatoes and place over indirect heat. When the exterior of the tomatoes are puckered but not burned, they’re ready. Toast some slices of good bread, rubbed with garlic, on the grill to go alongside.

Starch and vegs easy

For your “starch,” as my mother used to say, thread small new potatoes on skewers and baste with olive oil and lemon juice. Grill them for about 10 minutes total, turning often. Then just toss your favorite sliced veggies on the grill (eggplant, pattypan squash, etc.) and sprinkle a little soy sauce on them, or go with the basic olive oil-salt-pepper combination. Not a thing wrong with that.

Wait till last for meat – and dessert

Y’all have a favorite grilled meat, I’m sure. Start it up after the vegs. (You can even go the distance and grill some storebought pound cake for dessert – topped with a grilled pineapple slice and a scoop of rum-raisin ice cream.)

How easy was that?

So, you’ve had no need whatsoever for your kitchen, except maybe the refrigerator which holds the nice, cold beer for you to sip while you’re cooking.

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Debbie Moose, a food writer and cookbook author from Raleigh, NC, writes twice a month here about cooking outdoors. Check out her cookbooks: Potato Salad: 65 Recipes from Classic to Cool; Wings: More Than 50 High-Flying Recipes for America’s Favorite Snack; Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home; and Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy. Find out what else Debbie is cooking on her blog, Moose Munchies, at her web site, debbiemoose.com.