Grilling Up Goodness with Friends

The perfect barbecue. What is it exactly? Does it consist of just the right outdoor fare with just enough char-grilled flavor coupled with warm weather and happy friends? Well, the perfect barbecue could have any of these ingredients if you want it to. It's all up to you. For me, our gathering is a success if 1) My pre-prep goes well enough so I don't have to spend all of my time in the kitchen when my guests arrive and the food turns out as planned; 2) My friends and family are comfortable, happy, full and always have a drink in their hand; 3) The atmosphere is filled with laughter. This is what I look for and although everyone is different, I recommend having a light-hearted, relaxed approach to any summer barbecue. After all, summertime is meant to be a little bit lazy!

My dearest friend and my sister came over yesterday evening with their families, whom I love very much. We had a fabulous time relaxing outdoors in our backyard and we dined on delicious grilled and oven baked dishes that I will share with you.

We began our dinner with a Duck Walk Vineyard's 2009 Rose. It was a perfect match for the fare and was incredibly crisp and refreshing. Our starter course was an appetizer Nicole shared with us: Portobello mushrooms stuffed with turkey sausage, bleu cheese and bread crumbs. The spice of the sausage with the sharp creaminess of the cheese was incredible. Cut up into bite-sized pieces, it made an excellent starter.

After sitting down at our picnic table, the menu consisted of:

• Island Chicken with pineapple rings and a sweet brown sugar sauce. (Recipe in a previous blog post.)
• Marinated sliders, two varieties: 1) Sea salt, ground pepper and garlic seasoned ground beef mixed with onions and yellow peppers sauteed in teriyaki, soy and worschestshire sauce, then topped with American cheese and tomato. 2) Sea salt and cracked pepper seasoned ground beef mixed with barbecue sauce and stuffed with crumbled bleu cheese in the middle.
• Cucumber salad (Mom Martin's recipe with sliced onions, vinegar and sugar.)
• Homemade three-cheese macaroni and cheese (with cheddar, monterey jack and mozzerella) topped with bread crumbs.

Later on after finishing the Duck Walk Rose, we switched to Croteaux Vineyard's 181 Merlot Rose to keep with the fresh summer style. I also recommend trying this one!

The grand finish to the evening was Kristin's contribution of a fresh Briermere peach-cherry pie around the roaring campfire. It was truly a magical evening and I thank the wonderful people in my life as well as our precious house, which has once again been so welcoming for everyone who visits.

This concludes a second Chillin' & Grillin' post. Be sure to test out the burgers. Please write to me if you would like a recipe to anything else posted.

Thank you so much for following What's Cookin'. As always, I hope that some of my ideas may inspire you. Happy grilling!