When we stumbled upon the house that would become ours, we were attracted to it partly because it was brick, partly because it was detached from other houses—a bit unusual for our neighborhood, which is populated mostly by nineteenth-century brick rowhouses—but also because it came with a giant yard the size of two lots. Our yard is bigger than our house. I do wish the house was bigger than the yard, but it’s neither here nor there as this point. We thought momentarily about the fact that the yard was basically a dirt pile, but reasoned that a blank slate would be exciting to transform and make our own, just like the house that we would eventually bring down to the studs and gut renovate. The house is mostly done, so naturally the yard is still a dirt pile. We were not financially capable of doing both at the same time, but we built a deck on the yard-side of the house, and one of the first things we did after we moved in was buy a grill.
Anyone who has spent their formative adult years in New York City will probably relate to our desire to become “People Who Grill.” With proprietary outdoor space a premium it always felt like one of those things we would never have—along with a house (and a dishwasher and “in unit” washer and dryer) unless we bought upstate and were willing to commute to work every…damn…day. Then the pandemic happened, so you can probably guess what happened.
A year (and a half) and no savings and some debt later, the house is habitable (and beautiful), we no longer live in, or commute to, NYC, and the grill we do have. It’s as great as I thought it might be. It simplifies everything, cooking-wise. Forget the complicated marinades and recipes involving 10 different ingredients. Just select some things to grill (whether they be meat and vegetables or vegetables only), trim them, and prep them simply with salt and pepper and olive oil. Take 10 minutes to heat and fire up the grill, and then lay them over the open flame. You could char the heck out of everything, or have a lighter touch with a lower flame. The actual grilling takes about another 10 minutes, and meanwhile, whoever isn’t grilling is setting the outdoor table, and in our case the high chair as well. I do enjoy preparing a salsa verde of herbs, anchovies, and garlic, to serve alongside/on top of everything. With a food processor that should take about 5 minutes.
Now that it’s nice enough to eat outdoors this has become a Sunday routine, and we’re all pretty happy about it. On Saturday I visit our Farmer’s Market butcher, Meat Things, and plan a meal around whatever I buy (it’s usually what he has left that’s not terribly expensive), like the skirt steak I bought for our dinner on Mother’s Day, or the small rack of six lamb chops I bought another time. I ask Charlie, the butcher, for his thoughts on preparation and carving, and he reminds me to let the meat rest before slicing. Sometimes I follow it, and sometimes I don’t (though the resting I always do). He advised me to prepare the lamb chops as one, slicing later, but as we were grilling them, it made a lot more sense to separate them first.
On Mother’s Day I did a bit extra and roasted some tiny potatoes, tossing them with parsley afterward, sipping a G&T that Reed made while I cooked. Our neighbors, whose yard runs perpendicular to ours, hosted a giant party complete with a 14-piece brass band, so entertainment was taken care of. This is not unusual at all—they have a party like this on every holiday and seem to host all of the birthdays in their community. The band usually wraps up by 10. I only found it stressful in Tycho’s first six months, but he’s slept through them all (*knock wood*).
Below I’ve included some menu ideas in the spirit of this style of cooking. The air hasn’t become humid and we’re still experiencing blips of chilly weather (honestly, thank god), but cooking this way makes it suddenly feel like summer.
xo AV
Summer Sunday Dinner on the Grill
Prepare your meat: Slice your skirt steak into 2-3 large pieces, or prepare your rack of lamb by slicing between each chop with a sharp knife until you have individual chops. Season all over with salt and pepper. If grilling the chops, place them in a shallow dish wide enough to fit them all, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and chopped rosemary. Place in the fridge to until you’re ready to grill them, turning every so often.
Pick one to two vegetables and prep: Thickly slice zucchini, or cauliflower into steaks, and/or snap the ends of some asparagus, then spread them out on a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a healthy amount of olive oil. If you have small potatoes on hand, place them on a sheet pan, season, and coat them with olive oil. Roast on 400F for 30-ish minutes.
Prepare your salsa verde: Combine one small bunch each of parsley and basil, a small handful of mint, a tin of anchovies, a tablespoon of capers, and one garlic clove, in a food processor. Once combined move the mixture to a small bowl and drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and add more olive oil if it’s not sauce-y enough. Season with a (tiny) pinch of salt and a lot of black pepper, keeping in mind that the anchovies are quite salty. Note: I picked up this preparation style from Rachel Roddy’s salsa verde recipe.
Head to the grill: Once the grill is fired up (this process will vary grill by grill), place your incredients on the rack over the flame. Adjust your flame to be smaller if you don’t want much charring. The lamb chops should take 3-4 minutes per side, and the skirt steak 5-ish minutes each side for medium rare. Once done, allow the skirt steak to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. If serving lamb chops already separated, serve as soon as they come off the grill.
Set the table: Meanwhile, task your dining companion(s) with setting the table, placing your potatoes in a bowl (if serving), and your salsa verde in a small bowl. Cover each bowl with tea towels until dining if necessary.
Enjoy your meal AND the 14-piece brass band! Don’t be annoyed by a neighbor’s celebrations even if it is incredibly loud and making your house vibrate. I humbly suggest you find joy in the celebrations of others, even if it’s not your style.
Other things I would happily serve with this meal: pasta salad/potato salad, prepared the day before; watermelon & cucumber salad/peach & arugula salad/pear & gorgonzola salad/arugula dressed simply with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper; caprese salad (once we enter tomato season); sliced red onion lightly pickled in red wine vinegar; Gin & Tonicas/Grapefruit Vodka Tonics/Gin & Tonics garnished with muddled blackberries and fresh basil. Etc. Etc.
While I have you, some recommendations…
Somewhere to dine / Friends recently took us to The Dock in Montauk and it was one of those perfect dark pubs with excellent food and a lot of character. If it wasn’t so very Montauk it would be comfortable in London, I think. Order the mezcal cocktail and the jalapeno poppers (all of the food we had was great though).
Something to eat / I’ve started boiling sweet potato wedges, rather than roasting them, mainly because it’s the easiest way to prepare them for Tycho, but they are becoming a favorite of mine as well. I put them on everything. Rice bowls, salads, alongside dinner.
Something to read / If you’re in the mood for a page-turning social satire I cannot recommend Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson enough. It’s set amongst the WASP milieu of Brooklyn Heights and is beyond delightful. It’s also one of those rare novels where every character is flawed (as they should be), and complex, but you find yourself deeply invested in their tribulations even if their decisions drive you a bit crazy at times.
Somewhere to visit / Boscobel House & Gardens is a stunning historic estate near Cold Spring, NY. Grounds tickets are expensive, but worth it to be able to explore the Herb Garden and Orangery. I’m no gardener, but I aspire to become a casual one, and it is replete with inspiration. Also: this place has one of the most stunning views of the Hudson River and its wetlands (the latter which I wasn’t even aware of until I visited Boscobel the first time). There’s a gorgggeous brick terrace overlooking the view. The house tour is fun too, but if you’re on a budget the grounds are the highlight anyway. If you go, I suggest spending the rest of the day in Cold Spring, which is up there with Hudson and Tivoli as one of the prettiest/adorable/charming Hudson Valley towns.
Made the salsa verde last night for grilled fish. It wad a hit. With my three old too!