SUMMER HOLIDAY MENU - Serves Six

Grilled Pork Chops with Savory Butter or Mango Salsa
Grilled Potato Wedges
Tomato, Vidalia Onion & Basil Salad
Garlic Bread
All-time Favorite Dessert

Whether you gather together with friends and family to celebrate July 4th as the birth of our great nation, or choose any time this month to cook and share these delicious foods, I can't think of a more relaxing, backyard or patio grilling feast as the perfect way to bring family and friends together.  This menu features grilled pork chops served with a savory butter or a mango salsa.  You should count on at least one thick rib chop per person, but I always grill at least 2 extra chops for any hearty appetites that may turn up!  The chops are brushed with olive oil and then sprinkled with a seasoned black pepper and a seasoned salt mixture - look in the spice section of your supermarket and you'll find several varieties of seasoned black pepper and choose the mixture you like best.

If you have the time and the money, you can order the most delicious pork chops from www.nimanranch.com  Some upscale food stores (like Whole Foods Market) are also selling  Niman Ranch.  Of course, if money is really no object, then by all means order from www.lobels.com   Alternatively, more and more upscale supermarkets, nationwide, are offering higher quality pork products - did you know that the more flavorful pork chops are those that are the darkest red meat? 

Chicken parts work just as well with this method of seasoning and grilling.  I'd recommend buying organic chicken -  and I recommend grilling chicken with the bone and skin - you can always remove the skin and bones after grilling. The heat source should be hot but not white hot when grilling chicken.  If your grill is too hot, you can always move the chicken parts to a cooler part of your grill to finish cooking to avoid too much charring. Allow about 2 pieces of chicken per person and lots of chicken wings! Here are some grilling times to use as a guideline:

Bone-in Thighs/Drumsticks:  about 10 minutes on each side
Bone-in chicken breasts:  about 15 minutes on each side
Chicken wings:  about 8 minutes on each side

The accompaniments to this menu are simple and are delicious with either the grilled pork chops or grilled chicken parts.  Actual recipes are not needed - just follow the steps outlined with each side dish and trust your culinary instincts. 

Grilled Pork Chops with Savory  Butter

6 or 8 rib pork chops, at least 1-inch thick (or 12+organic chicken parts, plus at least 20 wings) brushed with olive oil and both sides sprinkled with a seasoned ground black pepper and seasoned salt.

Spray the grill grid with a non-stick spray and grill prepared pork chops or chicken over medium-hot coals (for pork chops about 6 minutes each side).  If using chicken parts, grill dark meat first and then the white meat and wings and use the grilling time guidelines above. Serve with savory butter and mango salsa.

Savory  Butter 

You can make this the day before you need it:  Double this recipe: In a small bowl, beat together 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature), 2 tablespoons steak sauce (try Newman's Own Steak Sauce) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke seasoning, 1 finely minced garlic clove and a dash of hot pepper sauce.  Transfer seasoned butter to a sheet of plastic wrap; re-form butter mixture into a log about 1-inch in diameter using the plastic wrap.  Store in freezer until chops are grilling. Cut slices of seasoned butter and serve on top of hot grilled pork chops.

Mango Salsa

3 large mangoes, peeled, seeds removed and flesh cut into 1/4" cubes, 2 red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/4" cubes, 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, 1/2  cup minced cilantro,2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and a generous pinch of salt.   

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

Grilled Potato Wedges

Scrub 6 medium size baking potatoes.  Cut in half lengthwise - then cut each piece in half again to yield 4 wedges. Repeat with all potatoes.   Brush wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt and ground black pepper.  Place potato wedges cut side down on grill surface.  When grill marks appear on one cut side, turn wedges to grill the other cut side of each wedge.  Test for doneness with the tip of a knife or a fork.  Can be prepared ahead of the pork chops - transfer to a foil pan and reheat on the grill just before serving.

Tomatoes, Olives, Vidalia Onion & Basil Salad

If you can, buy 6 large heirloom tomatoes (alternatively buy 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes) they are more expensive but tomatoes that are sold with the vine still attached taste the best until the local farmers start harvesting their summer tomato crops. 

Vidalia onions are starting to show up in the produce section of most large supermarkets almost year-round and you'll need 3 large onions.  Slice tomatoes (a serrated bread knife works best) and arrange on a large round or oval platter. Peel and slice the Vidalia onions into 1/2 inch thick slices and place along side the tomato slices.  Add about 1 cup of pitted olives of assorted varieties of your choice scattered over the tomato and onion slices.

Drizzle on a good quality store-bought vinaigrette (try Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing or Newman's Own Balsamic Dressing) or drizzle a good extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar on the tomato and onion slices. Cut about 8 large basil leaves into thin julienne strips and sprinkle over the tomato and onion slices.  Cover the platter with plastic wrap and leave on the kitchen counter until ready to serve for an hour.

Garlic Bread

Purchase a Tuscan style or other good quality bread (not a supermarket bakery unless your supermarket sells artisan and rustic style breads) French baguette or an Italian-style loaf of bread such as a Ciabatta loaf (see photo).   Cut loaf in half lengthwise.  Spread each cut half with a mixture of olive oil, finely minced garlic, salt, pepper, minced thyme, minced parsley.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on both halves.  Place halves together and wrap in foil.  Place on a hot grill surface for about 5  minutes on each side.  Transfer bread to the top shelf of the grill or place to the side away from direct heat where it will stay warm until serving.

Dessert

Allow your guests to make their own! Set up a make-your-own Sundae Bar (works best indoors with air conditioning and then eaten outdoors) with quality ice creams in various flavors and a choice of toppings like chocolate syrup, assorted crushed nuts, dried coconut, chopped dried fruits, chocolate chips, sprinkles, candied cherries, and of course freshly whipped cream for everyone to make their own favorite Sundae!

You can also have a large platter of bite size cuts of summer fruits - watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, and tree ripe peaches and nectarines from California are in the stores now or whatever tree fruit is available locally where you live and you have a delicious alternative dessert for those who may not want to indulge in a Sundae!