Patio Pleasers
Something about summer. It is so good to be out of doors. And, it is just made for al fresco dining. The simplest of meals takes on a new fascination when served on the patio. The flavor and aroma of charcoal signals something pleasurable. A few friends, close family and good food make it all come together.
What to serve along with those burgers?
You can never miss with ice cream. Kids get the jarred chocolate sauce topping. You get this – a memorable treat made at tableside. It is simple and delicious.
Rum Banana Ice Cream Topping
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter — softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 bananas
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons dark rum
Directions:
Mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until completely combined.
Place butter mixture in a large skillet over low heat. Peel the bananas and slice thinly. Add to melted butter in skillet. Heat for one minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice and rum until mixed and warm.
Serve sauce warm over ice cream.
But I digress. Before we get to the ice cream – as you can tell, I hurry along to that – there are the side dishes to consider. Slaw is a staple and the packaged variety works perfectly served with bottled slaw dressing. But what about adding some inventive side dish in addition.
Tomato cucumber salad
This, after all, is the season we have been waiting for.
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. minced parsley
1 med. cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 med. tomatoes, sliced
1 Vidalia onion, sliced and separated into rings
Place the first 6 ingredients in a jar and shake. Put the tomatoes, cucumber and onion in a serving bowl and pour the contents of the jar atop. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
As for the burgers, if you are in the mood to try something a little special, why not try this. Whirl around some Maytag Bleu Cheese with an equal amount of butter and a shake or two of Worcestershire sauce in the blender. Put that in the center of the burgers before placing over charcoal. If you like your burgers on the rare side, you may freeze small portions of the butter before you place them in the burger patties. This is like a Blue Cheeseburger but with the cheese inside and oozing throughout. It is a knockout for Bleu Cheese enthusiasts. Cheddar works also. Get something good, though. At the moment, I am a fan of Michigan Cheddar — or the Swiss Gruyere is also a never fail.
These suggestions will set you up for a wonderful evening of simple and delicious outside dining on your own patio or balcony.
Don’t invite anyone troublesome or bellicose. It is far too pleasant a setting for anything like that. Attorneys opposing you on a critical case will just have to wait for another occasion.
And, get some flowers for the table.
Judge Kirkendall is a retired Probate Judge. He presently serves on the Elder Law Advisory Board of the Stetson University College of Law. He has taught cooking classes for more than 25 years at various cooking schools in the Ann Arbor area and has himself attended classes at Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in Paris, as well as schools in New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. I am (thankfully) past president of the National College of Probate Judges. He can be reached at Judgejnk@yahoo.com
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