Oh-So-Simple Cedar Planked Herbed Peaches

Peaches! I have them by the case.  And the herbs are just going off in the garden, so Cedar Planked Herb Peaches, but first, a word for our sponsors... oh wait, that's us.

Personal sized Cedar grilling planks, also called single serving planks or just plain ol' 7x4's. Small, convenient to soak, perfect for 4-8 oz. cuts of meat or fish, and fit in any purse.   And they don't break the bank.

Ok, so this barley even counts as a recipe, as there is only a handful of ingredients, but it's so good!

Ingredients

- 7 x 4 Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Planks, soaked for at least an hour

- a couple ripe peaches

Directions

First- Soak 7 x 4 Cedar Grilling Planks for at least an hour. Pre-heat the grill to medium-high (350°).
Then-  Slice peaches in half, remove pit and rough chop herbs.

Next-   Place cedar planks on grill with peaches sliced-side-up and sprinkle  with herbs.  Close lid of grill then allow to smoke and smolder for  11-14 minutes.

Finally-  Carefully remove from grill and enjoy as a side dish, over a salad or just as is!   It’s just that easy.

For this week's entry, we're going a little Greek.  Homemade Pitas with Hummus and Tzatiki with Greek Salad.

First- Soak Outdoor Gourmet Fromagier Line Cedar  Grilling Plank for an hour or more.

Next- Heat up your grill to Medium-Low Heat (300°) and cut the top off of a whole bulb of garlic.

Then- Drizzle with oilve oil and place sliced-side down on plank, then cover with foil.  Roast garlic on plank for about 30 minutes.

Finally- Remove foil and enjoy... or do what I did and add to hummus.

• Two 17 oz. cans of chick peas / garbanzo bean
• 2 Tablespoons of Tahini
• 1 bulb of plank roasted garlic
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 3 Tablespoons of sage
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

Directions: Combine all ingredients together in food processor and tweak season as you go.  Add cayenne pepper for an extra kick!

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tablespoons of fresh mint
  
• 1 cup greek yogurt, strained
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

But the planking doesn't end there...  Oven Planked Pita Bread, but that's next weeks recipe.  Here's a teaser photo. Opa! Welcome to your weekend. -KB

Twice a year, the earth is neither tilted toward or away from the sun and for just a moment, (this year, around 17:32 Coordinated Universal Time) the earth's equator aligns with the center point of the sun before it begins to list again. Darkness and daylight are in perfect balance for a day and for us in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of spring.

The vernal equinox has been celebrated for thousands of years and there is no lack of traditions and rituals surrounding the coming of spring.

For most ancient civilizations, the vernal equinox was the start of the New Year. The Roman year began on the ides of March and the astrological year begins on the first new moon after the equinox, which brings in the first astrological sign Aries, the ram. The Greek God Ares, the god of the ram, is the equivalent of the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named. The Persian New Year, Nawruz also falls on the spring equinox.

The Saxons had a spring festival celebrating the goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter). Eggs were one of the symbols of this festival and represented new life and potential. During the equinox, there’s supposedly a certain gravitational pull that makes balancing an egg on its point possible. Thus, we have the tradition of the Easter egg.

All these different cultures had their own food traditions based essentially around the same idea: They survived the gray and bleak winter! Time to forage for something that hasn’t been in the root cellar for three months.

Although it is often anything but springy here in the northwest in March, rivers are teaming with the Steel Head run and a couple edibles things are beginning to poke through the soil. Asparagus, rhubarb, young herbs, leafy greens, wild onions/garlic and fiddleheads are coming soon.

Winter is over. We made it. Happy Spring!