Watermelon and Blueberry Salad with Feta

 

It's Fourth of July next weekend...time to roll out the red, white and blue. Betsy Ross thought the same thing designing our flag back in 1776. Despite historical paintings showing a bunch of toothless seniors sewing the  flag, dearest Betsy was only 24 years old when she created the flag.

She chose red as it represents hardiness, valor and blood shed in the pursuit of freedom. White symbolizes purity and innocence. Blue was chosen for justice, vigilance and perseverance. Many suggested that she just stole the colors from the Union Jack. And then, there are pragmatists like me, that figured she picked those colors simply because red and blue are the longest lasting dyes.

Instead of admiring the red, white and blue....I'd like to ask you to eat the red, white and blue. This is a quintessential summer fruit salad. Not only will the colors look spectacular on your fourth of July table...this salad, with its explosion of sweet and tart....is the perfect complement to grilled hot dogs, brats and burgers.

INGREDIENTS
3  cups (1 pound) diced watermelon 

1 pint blueberries

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup (5 ounces) diced feta cheese

2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients into a large bowl. Toss to mix thoroughly. Divide among serving plates. 
2. Garnish each plate with chopped mint. Serve.

Pairing: Mom, apple pie and cold beer

Betsy Ross was indeed just 24 when she created the American flag. But she wasn't the only spring chicken involved in the birth of our country. Check out the ages of our founding fathers on July 4, 1776: James Monroe...18, Aaron Burr...20, Alexander Hamilton...21, James Madison...25, Thomas Jefferson...33, John Adams...40, Paul Revere...41 and George Washington...44. The only exception was Benjamin Franklin, who was absolutely prehistoric at the ripe old age of 70. He was able to mitigate that perception in later years after he married Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Salad-e Shirazi

 

The pandemic sent me down a rabbit hole. While the Howard Hughes in me totally enjoyed the isolation, that confinement caused a big increase in my sedentary lifestyle. My gym closed when the pandemic hit, which introduced me to a whole new, very relaxing hobby of watching my ass grow.

This spring I decided to undo four years of covid bad habits. My beloved glasses of red wine disappeared...reserved only for special occasions. Lunch changed from rich, delicious leftovers to Becky's awesome strawberry protein shakes. And dinners switched to our very favorite summer format...a salad with a protein grilled over charcoal and oak..

I've dropped 28 pounds since March 15. I am joyfully donating all of my fat pants to the Goodwill store. And I continue do my workouts three days a week, taught by Stocco Fitness trainer extraordinaire, Alex Stocco. His expertise in optimizing muscle mass for us aging but capable Septuagenarians has made a huge difference.

Here's a favorite Iranian salad recipe for you to try (yes, some countries have bad governments....but thankfully there is always good food in every culture). It's perfect for a warm evening and goes great with lean proteins. One word of advice...make sure you use dried mint. Fresh mint is too strong and will overpower the taste of the dish.

INGREDIENTS
3  Persian cucumbers, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried mint

2 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and diced

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
2. Combine lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk to mix thoroughly.
3. Do not dress the salad until immediately before serving...you want to preserve the crunch of the vegetables. When ready, pour dressing over salad and mix thoroughly. Sample and add salt, pepper and additional lime juice to taste. And prepare to go 2 out of 3 rounds for the juice leftover in the bottom of the salad bowl!

Wine pairing for protein: Cabernet for red meat, Chardonnay for white

Septuagenarians! Shout it out!

Pulled Pork with Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce

 

Name me one person who doesn't like a big pork butt smoked over hickory. See? Absolutely no one. 

Name me one person who doesn't like to spend 10 hours over a smoker trying to get some smoke flavor into their butt? Me.

When I first started smoking meat, I had a Weber Rocky Mountain Smoker that required old-school skills. Carefully light a few briquettes...toss in some hickory...fill a big container of water to hold temperature in the smoker...and then slap a big honkin' pig shoulder on there. Don't even think of going anywhere as you are a conjoined twin with your smoker for the next 10 hours. No napping...no potty breaks...that temperature dial must be carefully monitored for the next 600 minutes. 

Wait a few years and technology makes life easier. Along came pellet smokers with PID controls. You add your pellets. Toss on your pork shoulder. Hit the ignition button and the PID controller maintains the smoke level and temperature in the smoker for as long as you set it for. See you in 10 hours!

Name me one person who doesn't like to spend 10 hours over a smoker trying to get some smoke flavor into their butt? Me.

I'm soon to celebrate another birthday. Which means I have a finite number of hours left on this hallowed earth. I have more important things to do than waste those  hours watching a temperature gauge. Ten frigging hours! So when I feel like having me some smoked pork butt, I toss my butt into my car and head to Costco. You get 2 pounds of the most perfectly smoked Kirkland pork butt for just $14.99. That's cheaper than what you would pay for a pork butt alone. Plus, you just cut your prep and cook time by 11 hours.

Name me one person who doesn't like to spend 10 hours over a smoker trying to get some smoke flavor into their butt? Me.

So what I've done here is taken an 11-hour recipe (prep + smoking) and reduced it to 17 minutes. That's a very manageable time for both of us. All those poor folks sweating up a storm and blowing a day to get a little taste of that extraordinary North Carolina BBQ. For a few ticks over 15 minutes and less than $20, you get the full Hot Pepper/Cider Vinegar BBQ experience right in your own kitchen. 

Now don't expect the thick, savory sauce of Texas Hill Country BBQ. North Carolina Hot Pepper Vinegar sauce is thin and runny. But it's gonna smack you across the face with a punch from the hot pepper sauce and then roll up your tongue like an errant window shade with the snap of the vinegar. It is the crowning glory for this Pulled Pork Sandwich and the perfect amount of hickory smoke the pit master put in his butt.

INGREDIENTS

For the Sauce

1 cup cider vinegar  

2 tablespoons sugar

1 or more teaspoons hot sauce (use your fave: Tabasco, Sriracha, Frank's or Cholula )

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh cracked black pepper

For the Sandwich

2 pounds Kirkland Pulled Pork

6 hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Whisk to stir thoroughly. Heat pan and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce  and cook on a simmer for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Prepare pulled pork according to package instructions (microwave on high for 7 minutes). When heated, remove plastic and place pork in a large saucepan. Use 2 forks to shred pork.
3. Add sauce to pork and mix with sauce. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook until pork is well heated trough. Divide pork between buns and serve with garnish of your choosing.

Pairing: A Pilsner