MEMORIAL
DAY MENU
Grilled Pork Roast with Glaze
Grilled Corn, Zucchini and Peppers
Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad
Tomato, Mozzarella & Red Onion Salad
Chocolate Flag Cake with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
All recipes yield 6 to 8 servings.
This menu has the vibrant flavors of the Southwest region of the U.S. with ingredients such as pork, corn, chilies, and cilantro. The day before your barbecue, marinate the pork in apple juice, cider vinegar and hot pepper jelly and during the last 15 minutes of grilling, brush on a glaze of hot pepper jelly and cider vinegar.
An abundance of fresh corn is now coming to our markets and when combined with grilled bell peppers and zucchini, that really says "summer grilling". The vegetables can be grilled ahead of time, then briefly re-heated in a foil pan on top of the grill. Using cilantro instead of basil for the pesto in the pasta salad is a nice change of pace - the salad can be prepared a couple of hours ahead of serving time -- just refrigerate until ready to serve.
Although the height of tomato season isn't with us just yet, you can still find ripe and delicious hot house tomatoes, sold with the stems still on for the Tomato, Mozzarella and Red Onion salad - the fresh basil and balsamic vinegar are key flavors to this delicious salad.
The dessert is a big chocolaty luscious replica of Old Glory and will score a big hit with family and friends. After cooling and frosting, fresh blueberries and strawberries are arranged as the stars and stripes respectively creating a replica of the flag of the United States.
For a very special and tasty pork loin, go to www.nimanranch.com and treat yourself to the best tasting pork you can buy. If you live in a major city, most likely one of the upscale food stores in your city will be selling Niman Ranch pork. Please tell Niman Ranch that you heard about them on this website!
| 4 pounds | boneless pork loin roast, rolled and tied, excess fat trimmed |
| 1 cup EACH | apple juice, cider vinegar, hot pepper jelly |
| For Glaze | |
| ¾ cup | hot pepper jelly |
| ¼ cup | cider vinegar |
Place pork
in a large zip lock plastic bag. Heat the apple juice, cider vinegar and
hot pepper jelly until the jelly melts. Let cool and pour over pork in
bag. Seal well and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare covered grill using the indirect heat method (see directions below). Remove pork from marinade - reserve marinade in a saucepan. Heat marinade to boiling and reserve. Place pork roast over the drip pan and cover the grill. Cook for 1¼ hours basting occasionally with boiled marinade. An instant read thermometer should register 150 degrees F. Stir together glaze ingredients and brush on roast for last 15 minutes of grilling.
Indirect Heat/Charcoal Grill: When charcoal briquettes are white hot, use tongs to remove the grill and arrange hot coals with the tongs on on side of the grill. Put a foil drip pan next to the coals. Replace the grill and place pork on grill over the drip pan. Cover the grill with the lid. This way, your grill cooks like an oven and the meat will not get charred.
Indirect Heat/Gas Grill: For a two burner gas grill, put one burner on and place a drip pan on the shut off side. Place the pork on the grill surface over the shut-off side with a drip pan underneath - close the lid on the grill and check the internal temperature of the pork during the cooking time.
Grilled Corn, Zucchini and Peppers
| 8 ears | fresh corn, husks peeled back but not removed, silk removed |
| 8 Tbls. | softened butter, mixed with minced fresh herbs (thyme, basil) |
| 1 tsp | crushed red pepper flakes |
| salt & pepper | |
| 3 | zucchini, cut into ¼-inch thick lengthwise slices |
| 4 | bell peppers (red & yellow) stems and seeds removed, flesh cut into 2-inch wide strips |
| Flavored chili Oil | |
| salt & pepper |
Spread softened herbed spicy butter on fresh
cleaned corn - replace husks over buttered corn and place on the grill.
For zucchini and peppers, place all slices in a 13 x 9 glass dish.
Add chili oil, salt & pepper and toss vegetables until well coated.
Grill corn, peppers and zucchini over hot coals or over high gas heat
until grill marks appear on vegetables; turn to grill the other side.
Remove grilled vegetables to a platter and let sit until ready to serve.
Grilled vegetables taste better when not to hot or too cold.
| 1 pound | dry short pasta (ziti, penne or rigatoni) |
| 2 cups | cilantro leaves, loosely packed, large stems removed |
| 2 cloves | garlic, peeled and crushed |
| ½ cup + more (to create mayonnaise consistency) | extra virgin olive oil |
| ¼ teaspoon | dried oregano |
| ¼ cup | pine nuts |
| ½ cup | sliced black pitted kalamata olives |
| salt & freshly ground black pepper |
Cook pasta according to package directions,
run under cold water, drain well and put into a
serving bowl.
Meanwhile, in a food processor with the steel blade, mince cilantro and garlic and slowly add the olive oil until mixture is a mayonnaise-like consistency. Add oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Toss pasta with pesto and mix in pine nuts and olives. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours or cover and refrigerate for longer storage. Before serving toss to blend flavors.
Tomato, Mozzarella & Red Onion Salad
| 4 large | ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced ½-inch thick |
| 1 large | red onion, thinly sliced |
| 8 | thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese |
| 3 Tablespoons | olive oil |
| 1 Tablespoon | balsamic vinegar |
| 2 Tablespoons | chives, minced |
| 2 Tablespoons | basil, cut into thin strips |
| salt & pepper |
Arrange tomato, cheese
and onion slices on a large oval or round platter. Stir together the oil, vinegar, herbs and seasoning. Drizzle dressing over
tomatoes/cheese/onions. garnish overall with chopped chives and basil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for
at least 30 minutes before serving.
| ¾ cup | unsalted butter |
| 1-2/3 cup | sugar |
| 3 | eggs |
| 1 teaspoon | pure vanilla extract |
| 2 cups | all-purpose flour |
| 2/3 cup | Unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 1¼ teaspoons | baking soda |
| ¼ teaspoon | baking powder |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1-1/3 cups | water |
| ½ pint | fresh blueberries |
| 1 quart | fresh strawberries, uniform in size, stems removed and each berry cut in half lengthwise |
Heat oven to 350
degrees F. Butter and flour a rectangular baking pan (13" x 9" x 2").
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the water. Blend just until combined.
Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes; remove from pan and let cool completely on a rack. Place cake on an oblong serving tray or on a piece of stiff cardboard at least one inch larger all around than the cake. Cover the cardboard with aluminum foil.
Frost the cooled cake with vanilla butter cream frosting. Arrange blueberries in the upper left corner of the cake creating a 4"x 5" area to resemble the stars on the U.S. flag. Arrange strawberry halves cut side down in rows to resemble the stripes.
Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
| 3 cups | confectioners sugar |
| 1/3 cup | butter, softened |
| 1½ teaspoons | pure vanilla extract |
| 2 - 3 Tablespoons | milk |
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and butter. Add vanilla and milk; beat to a spreading consistency. Frost a 13 x 9 x 2 -inch cake as directed above.
