Summer and grilling.
It’s in the American Tradition arena with baseball and hotdogs, apple pie and iced tea, fast food, and summer vacation road trips. There are probably few things as iconic as someone standing by a barbecue grill in an apron on a summer afternoon. Never mind that the whole thing was probably a product of Madison Avenue as it was a carryover of our rugged, pioneer heritage.
According to one article,
“And so it went in the golden age of advertising of the 1960s and ’70s: If you wanted to be a truly prosperous American, it was your duty to cook meat from your local supermarket in your backyard using a Weber kettle grill filled with Kingsford Charcoal. And it’s been that way ever since.”
While this isn’t the mindset around backyard grilling today, the concept of going to your local grocery store for your meats for grilling is still a great one. And, of course, depending on where one lives, the standard grilling menu can vary. For example, here in Napa Valley, our popular grill recipes often call for other meats besides steaks, burgers, and hot dogs. And making good use of different food ingredients such as imported cheese and fresh, locally grown vegetables is also a fixture here.
So, with that in mind, we’ve come up with a few tempting grill recipes that will surely be a summer hit at your next barbecue get-together.
Grilling Options Beyond Beef and Burgers
For many people, there are few things in life more enjoyable than a freshly grilled hamburger. But there’s so much more that can be enjoyed on a summer backyard picnic.
And we’ve brought together a few tasty grill recipes for you here.
Grilled Chicken Recipe: Grill-Roasted Chicken with Crushed Fingerling Potatoes and Shallot Vinaigrette
Here’s a Napa Valley-style take on grilled chicken from the folks at Food & Wine magazine that stirs up your tastebuds and those of your lunch guests. As Food & Wine describes it,
“Crushed juniper berries combine with garlic and herbs to perfume this smoky chicken that makes for a stunning centerpiece for a leisurely lunch with good company. [S]mothering the chicken and crushed potatoes with a classic shallot vinaigrette means every plate will be wiped clean.”
Recipe details
- Active: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Refrigerate: 4 hours
- Total: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
For the complete recipe, including step-by-step directions, simply follow the Food & Wine recipe page link. In the meantime, here are the ingredients you’ll need to pick up for this dazzling dish.
Ingredients
Chicken and Potatoes
- ¼ cup kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 (4-pound)s whole chickens, quartered
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 8 rosemary sprigs
- 2 pounds fingerling or new potatoes
- 2 quarts of water
Shallot Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch of fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Additional Ingredients
- 3 hardwood chunks
- Canola oil for grill grates
- 2 medium romaine lettuce hearts (about 1 1/2 pounds), torn (about 8 cups)
- ½ cup thinly sliced radishes
Grilled Pork Chops Recipe: A Honey Soy Marinade Twist
This pork chop grilling recipe from Makinze Gore, Food Editor for Delish, appears deceptively traditional but incorporates a honey soy marinade that delivers moist and delicious chops from your grill.
The ingredients are relatively simple, as well.
Recipe Details
- Yield: 4 servings
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Red pepper flakes
- 4 boneless pork chops
You can find the full recipe with directions by following this link to the Delish site.
Makinze also offers an excellent tip for keeping your pork chops from drying out on the grill, as these cuts of meat are notorious for doing.
“A good marinade will make a big difference in pork chops. Make sure your marinade has an acid in it to tenderize the meat and make something flavorful. We use soy sauce to help with both of those things in our marinade. For some variations though you could use some Dijon mustard and lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice, or balsamic and honey.”
Oh, and about the wine pairing, according to Vivino,
“As a general concept, medium-bodied wines such as Zinfandel pair very well with pork, as well as some medium to light red wines such as Pinot Noir and Freisa.”
Grilled Lamb Chop Recipe: Garlic and Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops
Lamb is pretty popular in the Napa Valley region, although generally speaking, many people feel that lamb has too strong of a flavor.
Not necessarily, says Jannese, found of the food blog founder of Delish D’Lites.
“The real truth is that if most people tasted a good, properly cooked lamb chop, they would change their tune. I was one of those people that swore I wouldn’t like lamb, until I had the most delicious, tender, and perfectly seasoned lamb chop. Since that moment, I’ve been hooked!”
Her grill recipe for lamb chops features a marinade based on garlic, rosemary, and other ingredients that you will find here:
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lamb loin or rib chops thick cut
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Recipe Details
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil in a measuring cup.
- Pour the marinade over the lamb chops, flipping them over to cover them completely. Cover and marinate the chops in the fridge for as little as 1 hour or as overnight.
- Grill the lamb chops on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the lamb chops to rest on a plate covered with aluminum foil for 5 minutes before serving.
Jannese also offers the following suggestions for food pairings to go with these scrumptious lamb chops:
“I love serving grilled lamb chops with my Spring Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Peas; the combination is the perfect Spring plate.”
Cal Mart – A Summer Culinary Friend Napa Valley Can Count On
One of the key ingredients to a superb grilling recipe is the ingredients!
And at Cal Mart, we have always made it our mission to provide our customers with the finest in fresh foods, meats, cheeses, and other culinary staples such as fine wines and craft beers. It’s our long-standing commitment to service and love for what we do that is so evident in the quality of our specialty foods selection, our fine deli meats, and our gourmet cheeses.
In addition to our wide selection of fresh and locally sourced grocery items, we also stock unique and challenging to find food products. And Cal Mart houses a superb delicatessen, a gourmet cheese department, a vast selection of quality wines, and a wide variety of craft beers.
Are you looking for those special ingredients to make a culinary masterpiece on your grill this summer?
We have a fresh and locally grown produce, cheeses, sauces, and more – not to mention meats and seafood selections. So, make it a point to stop into Cal Mart and take some time to explore all that we have to offer. And while you’re here, visit our deli and talk with our knowledgeable staff. You can even treat yourself to a cup of gourmet coffee or tea from our Coffee Bar.
Cal Mart has been a family-owned and independent grocery store for over 50 years. We have provided a unique and enjoyable shopping experience for customers for more than half a century, and we are proud to be a long-standing part of our community in Calistoga and Napa Valley.
Which is one of the reasons why we work hard to be considered “Napa Valley’s Finest Grocery.”
Cal Mart in Calistoga is where you will always find something unexpected, unusual, uncommon, and amazing!
