It all started out gloriously. A beautiful Fourth of July brunch on the deck. Husband cooking one of my egg “recipe” favorites. Big ol’ hot sun in the true blue sky. Coffee in the tall mug, thanks. Unleaded Bloody Mary in the frosty pint glass. Dog next to us and a whole New York Times to read with all the time in the world to do it. Dinner, and making what would come to be known here as “Grilled Broccoli Potato Salad,” was light years away.
And, since we were free as birds, nothing doing but we had to trek over to Whole Foods (a once a month trip) to hand in an Amazon return and sidle around the aisles seeing what was new and side-eyeing what others were tossing in their baskets. (New: You can eat on the patio again as they’re only using half of it to stage pick-ups. What folks were buying: lots of vegetables, shrimp, steaks, yummy cheese, wine, beer, and chips. Bookoo chips. There were the odd fellows buying paper towels and toilet paper. Really?) We bought just a few things though I was glad to see my favorite 365 whole wheat spaghetti, my go-to Balsamic vinegar and a new to me non-alcoholic IPA beer as well as an American sparkling wine we hadn’t yet tried. I bought the wine to share with our wine group. We are… wait for it… cooking the food from the movie “The Menu” in a couple of weeks. I have the scallops. Coming out into the teeming parking lot, we were greeting with inky, ominous skies and whipping, screeching wind. Before we got home, it looked all Wizard of Oz-ish:
My little old VW bug (2006) does great in weather (or any other time–what a tank and she drives like a dream), though I was worried about her fabric convertible roof that’s already had a run-in or two with our infamous Colorado hail. I try to leave her safe in the garage if rain and hail are imminent but I missed the weather report somehow. We made it home safely and I can perhaps skip her next bath time.
Other plans for the day had been sadly canceled last minute, so we had little to do except make the best of a lazy afternoon, get an early dinner together, and be ready to watch the myriad fireworks festivities from our eastern deck. Another round of rain and harmless pea hail came and went as we listened to Pandora Fourth of July music, read, napped, chatted w/ family on the phone and by text, and picked greens from our window boxes for salad.
I readied the table; sliced tomatoes, onions, sweet young lettuce, and pickles for our burgers; and set all that aside. Meanwhile, I grilled a few vegetables (microwaved the potatoes briefly first to cut the grill time) and later tossed our one-dish side together, now known here forevermore as “Grilled Broccoli Potato Salad.” While I grilled in a grill pan on the stovetop in the kitchen, Dave grilled burgers outdoors on the gas grill. I brought the salad out, took another look around and it couldn’t be– but it was looking stormy yet again. Surely it would pass right by. Not.
Just as the proverbial S$$t hit the fan, we grabbed everything in about two fell swoops and ran inside to enjoy a drier and quieter dinner at the dining room table. All’s well if you still get fed. When you try this, I do hope you’re able to sit outside and enjoy it with perfect weather:
Grilled Broccoli Potato Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound broccoli (about one crown), trimmed and cut into florets
- 6 large button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 12- ounces (10-12, 1–2-inch) new red potatoes with peels left on, cut in half (cut into quarters if large)
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1–2-inch dice
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into ½-inch strips
- ½ small red onion, sliced thinly
- 2 small radishes, sliced thinly (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or more to taste
- Generous pinch crushed red pepper or more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons julienne basil or to taste
- 2 cups salad greens-your choice
- 6 cherry tomatoes for garnish
Instructions
- HEAT A STOVETOP GRILL PAN over medium-high heat for two minutes.
- TOSS THE BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOMS with a tablespoon or so of olive oil along with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Turn the broccoli and mushrooms out into the hot grill pan in an even layer, cover partially with a large lid, and grill, turning a time or two, until tender – 10-12 minutes. Turn out onto a plate and set aside.
- MEANWHILE, MICROWAVE THE POTATOES: Place cut potatoes in one layer in a microwave-safe container, add about ½ inch water, cover, and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
- ADD DRAINED POTATOES to the now empty large bowl. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and toss with ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- TURN THE POTATOES out in an even layer into the hot grill pan (when the broccoli and mushrooms are done) and grill until there are dark grill marks on one side. Turn and grill on the other side until grill marks appear and potatoes are tender.
- ADD THE POTATOES ALONG WITH THE RESERVED BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOMS back into the large bowl and stir in the bell peppers, onions, radishes (if using), red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon-style mustard, crushed red pepper, and basil. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings, including the vinegar. Line a serving platter with salad greens. Spoon the salad onto the platter evenly and garnish with cherry tomatoes on top. Serve at room temperature. Store well-covered for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. If making a day ahead, don’t add basil or cherry tomatoes until ready to serve.
Notes
Post recipe note…
TRUST YOURSELF: When a recipe is this simple, it could be made in several ways. Read through and do it the way it makes sense to you. A different order or group of ingredients could appeal. Perhaps you’d like to grill the potatoes without par cooking them? Go for it; your stove or grill will just be on longer. Maybe you’d rather boil or steam them along with the broccoli? (The mushrooms need grilling or sautéing.) You want only sweet potatoes; totally nice. How about cooking the peppers, too? Sure. I would at least leave the onion raw as a mix of tender and crispy foods creates interest in salad and other dishes. Maybe grated Parmigiano Reggiano is calling you, so grate that onto the hot potatoes. Your inner cook’s voice is dependable.
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LIFE GOES ON:
When the storm passed, we could see the end of the rainbow just below our home. “Follow the fellow who follows a dream.”
We are still busy (second week now) organizing food and feeding and housing our homeless families at church. I’m always impressed by the kids in the Family Promise program and this time, they’re super-duper precociously smart. One 3-year old had her long hair in braids the other night and a volunteer cook told her how nice they looked. I commented that my granddaughter had had her hair exactly like that the previous day. Without a beat, our little “Heidi” said, “Do you have a picture of that?” And I did. This is the life of a toddler in today’s culture; they know for sure you probably have pictures of everything. That’s our world.
Did I say that all of the adults in our program work full-time? They just can’t afford the high price of housing. Can’t breathe here.
Here’s our granddaughter Piper (with her braids) enjoying her Papa’s (my best squeeze) 7oth birthday dinner last Sunday.
Thanks for keeping me company in my kitchen and on my deck. You inspire me; you know you do,
Alyce
P.S. I’ve been a little worried about our girl Rosie now that sweet Tucker has crossed the rainbow bridge. She’s quiet but she’s also coming into her own. Just happens. We miss him but are relieved he’s safe and running free of pain. There’s also a sense of being able to pay attention to Rosie in a way we haven’t been able to in over a year. I find we’re playing, snuggling, and sharing in new ways; that’s a good thing.
