My first recipe post

A few years ago I needed some replacement parts for my Weber gas grill. Not finding anything local and unable to make use of universal parts I had to order from Weber. No big deal, just a bit of wait, and the prices were not outrageous. However, ordering online has, of course, set me up with a bit of bacn (spam from a business you do business with) in the form of a "Recipe of the Week." The recipes all involve some form of drilling, o'course. Most of them look quite good, ranging from basic to exotic. The one from the week before last, however, really intrigued me, and I let Cheff Jeff take a gander. Well, he decided to give this one a go tonight and we were completely blown away. It also helped that we provided some of our own fresh veggies out of our garden for this and our accompanying sides as well.

Thai Shrimp with Watermelon Salsa
Recipe from Weber’s Way To Grill™ by Jamie Purviance
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Grilling Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes

Salsa
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1–2 tablespoons minced jalapeño chile pepper
2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 three-inch section English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Marinade
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
3 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/4 pounds extra-large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and
deveined, tails left on

1. In a large bowl mix the shallot, vinegar, sugar, and jalapeño. Add the watermelon, cucumber, mint, and salt, and toss gently to combine. To fully incorporate the flavors, allow the salsa to stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.

2. In a food processor combine the marinade ingredients. Process to create a coarse puree, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate the ingredients evenly.

3. Transfer the marinade to a medium bowl, add the shrimp, and toss to coat them evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning the shrimp after 15 minutes.

4. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

5. Remove the shrimp from the bowl and discard the marinade. Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the shrimp over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are firm to the touch, lightly charred, and just turning opaque in the center, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and serve warm or at room temperature with the salsa.

The watermelon came from our garden as well, one of the prime motivators for picking this recipe. Jeff halved the jalapeño just in case, yet it was not spicy at all. OMG it was so good, served over couscous and barley and with a side of sauteed grape tomatoes, zucchini and onions. I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it.

Jeff was in full kitchen mode today, making this along with stuff for later in the week plus four loaves of zucchini bread (can you tell what veggie we had a bumper crop of while we were away?). Soon to be on tap, or, shall we say, up to our ears in: Tomatoes and apples.

More of the same

Well, I gave it a few days, but it seems the last medical procedure done to help my with my lower extremities as far as pain, spasms and weakness has been a complete failure. No change. So this means another plan of attack, one that will undoubtedly require some time under he knife. My spinal cord looks like a garden hose with a car parked on it at one point. So, later this week I will see what the next course of action is.

Ugh. Make it stop is all I ask. I want to return to my semi-normal life.

Mayhem Outdoor Power, Inc.

I might not be able to do much in the way of heavy-duty yard work or any such similar sundries, but at least I can sit hunkered down on the garage floor and rebuild, fix, tune-up, modify and/or totally re-imagine some of my equipment. Lately I had used my extra time to tend to all the various "outdoor power equipment" here at Chez Mayhem. some stuff just gets a little cleaning and an oil change, other items that had sat around unused for a while or had recurring problems (the latter causes the former) got torn into with a vengeance as a challenge to get fully operation again. This slow but rather fun (for me) process netted lots of shiny, almost new looking equipment despite some being well over 20 years old, plus a lot of new usability for little or no cost. However, by the time I had done all of this and put everything together outside the garage I wondered when I had become my own landscaping, cleaning and grounds maintenance outfit. I mean, seriously, look at all this stuff:



I guess I could get into a new line of work if I had to. Now all I need to do is get well enough to start using most of this again on a regular basis.

With all of this stuff mostly done, I've turned my attention on the garage machinery. I beadblasted and began to paint one of my grinder stands today. I can lean against the blast cabinet to clean the stuff off, and sit in the driveway to paint the pieces. No back needed. I just realized that I have no gray paint. More stuff to get at the hardware store I guess.