70s and Just a Slight Breeze

Last Monday, I lit a fire in the patio fire pot and when Hubs got home, we enjoyed it so much that previous dinner plans were tossed out the window and we roasted hot dogs over the open flames. It was delightful.

Three days later, cold rains started. It rained. And rained. And rained. The wind blew. A few, big, fat snowflakes fell, but melted before they hit the ground. However, in the south central part of the state, we were the lucky ones. To the west, up to 50 inches of snow fell in some areas shutting down roads and knocking out power lines for days. To the east, a tornado and accompanying strong winds leveled a sickening path of destruction.

Today, it was once again in the 70s and sunny with  just a slight breeze. Of course, I lit another fire on the patio. This time it was in the grill. Over the smokey, smoldering coals, zucchini planks and rings of red onion were grilled. A little toss with red wine vinegar, shavings of Parmesan, and freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley and a warm side dish was served along side some cheesy chicken and artichoke sausages.

Grilled Zucchini and Red Onion

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 pounds small zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. (I prefer charcoal for optimum flavor.)
Toss sliced zucchini and onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill vegetables until tender and seared with grill marks. (The onion will take a bit longer than the zucchini.)
Drizzle the vinegar over the grilled zucchini and onions; season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Toss with Parmesan and parsley. (Serves 6)