Summer Eatin'!

My good friend Lane McConnell has a blog which is about cooking. Lane is a girl who must be from the past. She must be what our grandmothers were like when they were in their early 20s. She’s very down-to-earth and she loves to cook. You just don’t meet girls like her anymore. I’ve met lots of girls in my life and never have I met one like Lane. You tell me when the last time was you were at a bar and met a girl and she said something to the effect, “I was canning green beans today and…” Oddly, she makes me feel like a kid again. There is a point to all of this – Lane is usually in charge of the get-togethers here at Learfield. Pie baking contests, chili-cooking contests and your basic festive events that happen within the confines of the workday. Presently, she is asking for family recipes to include in a Learfield cookbook. I plan to submit two… and here they are!

Aunt Kathy’s Summer Salad

This was originally (and is still) called Taco Salad. My family on my father's side is from Missouri, so perhaps that explains why they call it Taco Salad when there is nothing Mexican about it.

1 bag iceberg salad mix
1 8 oz. bag shredded cheese – your choice! (I use Colby/Jack)
1 large or medium tomato
1 16 oz. can of dark red kidney beans
1 bottle Kraft Catalina dressing
1 bag Fritos (I use off-brand corn chips)

Empty salad mix into large bowl.
Crunch up corn chips and pour over lettuce.
Empty cheese into bowl.
Dice the tomato, then put in bowl.
Drain beans, then put in bowl.
Pour entire bottle of dressing into bowl and mix well.
Enjoy!

It gets soggy within a few hours, but it’s gooooooood stuff! Here’s another one we used to get excited about as kids when mom made it for dinner.

Fritos, Cheese and Tomato Soup

1 family sized can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup (off brands are no good for this)
1 8 or 16 oz. bag (or block) shredded cheese. I recommend Jack cheese.
1 bag (or more) of Fritos. (I use off brand corn chips)

Heat tomato soup using milk; not water.
In individual bowls, put a handful of chips.
Sprinkle desired amount of cheese over chips. (I like mine with lots of cheese)
Pour warm soup over chips and cheese.
Enjoy!

These recipes are NOT low fat nor are they exceedingly healthy. They are, however, absolutely delicious.


The Cookout

It was just a few years ago my boss at the time, Mitch Baker, informed me of the huge difference in the terms Barbecue and Grilling. Most of the time, you'll hear people say, "We're having a BBQ this weekend", when in reality they are grilling. It was told to me that a true BBQ is when you slow cook the meat over the course of several hours using indirect heat. Grilling is what people do at home... most of the time. There are people (like my oldest brother) who will dig a pit and roast a pig at least once per summer.

Then there's me.

I'd say, on average, I grill about 4 times a week. Of course that's just from May until September, but I still toss stuff on the barbie in the snow - just not as often. When I grill, I start with a "main meat". Steaks of all kinds. Beef, pork, tuna, salmon... your choice. Then I get veggie with it and wrap some squash in foil, corn on the cob and even kabobs if I'm ambitious enough. And what cookout would be complete without some hot dogs?

There is one problem, though.

After 9 precious years of true love and complete mutual understanding, my wife pitched my Weber Bar-B-Kettle. There is no better grill. The spherical design allows air to flow evenly throughout the grill; delivering key oxygen to the area underneath the coals. I think that must be the one crucial difference between a Weber and the typical square grill... and I should know. With the glory years behind me and nursing the loss of my first grill love, I am pressing on with the aforementioned $20 square grill from Wal-Mart. It was a gift, so we figured we'd use it at least for this summer. Let me tell you it pales in comparison to my beloved Weber. I'm considering it a lesson learned. Maybe I can contact Mitch Baker and he can tell us about what many consider THE BEST grill of all - The Big Green Egg. They're made in Springfield, MO.

Until then...