As I dragged the grill out of the garage, I had to wonder if this was really our best choice for cooking supper. On one hand, not heating up the house by cooking inside was a big plus, as was of course the flavor of the finished food. Yet on the other hand, cooking outside meant we would have to be outside ... and just walking out into the evening’s ambient temperature felt almost like laying myself on the grill grates.
You know the week I’m talking about. We’re used to hot, but this was hot. I used to say I love the hot days of summer here in Kansas, because they remind me of the two seasons I spent in a literal desert in Kenya. They still do, especially when I take a walk in my Chaco sandals on our dusty dirt road, but I guess I’m getting old and wimpy because I love the idea and memory much more than I love the actual experience anymore.
Fortunately, Brian did most of the actual grilling, and I just did the prep work. The kids and I were already hot — two seconds outside in the 107° heat and it felt like time for a shower — so we went out on the driveway beside the grill anyway so we could see Brian when he came back and forth to check the food. It was one of those lazy days of summer, when I had gotten done what I needed to and we were just waiting around for Brian to be done milking.
Getting some fresh air seemed like a good idea, but that’s when I wondered if we should skip the grill and just sidewalk it. As in, just toss the chicken and vegetables on the driveway and let the scorching hot cement do our cooking. We can joke about frying an egg on the sidewalk, although the closer to the truth it gets the less funny it feels.
The kids survived by splashing around in our little blue kiddy pool for a while, although Kiah mostly wanted to lunge-crawl either out of it or into it, whichever place she wasn’t currently, and Benson apparently just wanted to jump around enough to get me soaked too. I am not a water person, and definitely not a please-splash-me person, but it was so hot even I appreciated it. The house felt like an oasis of cool air by the time we got back inside around the table for supper.
And supper off the grill always feels epic for some reason. Maybe because my family growing up rarely ever grilled (did we even have one? I’m not sure), or maybe because Brian often helps so it’s not just me cooking, or maybe because I have a sort of complex that requires me to throw everything possible on the grill if it’s running. I love the smoky flavor and mild char texture of the grill, and how the simplest components can create such a delicious meal.
We often begin with the idea of a cut of meat Brian wants to do, and then I start looking around for any and all vegetables to throw on alongside. Foil-wrapped onions and potatoes are standard, but if we have peppers, asparagus, portabellos, or sweet potatoes, those are going on too. And right now is the season for one of our favorites: summer squash. Most of the time I do a simple olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper treatment, and let the grill do the rest. Put a sauce or two (or all of them, if you’re Benson) on the table, and we can put down an amazing amount of vegetables.
But this time, I had a bunch of fresh herbs sitting around, and some butter sitting on the counter that was totally melted in the heat. Toss them together and voila! the best addition to a grilled — or sidewalked — supper.
Buttered Herbs
I was going to call this herbed butter, but let’s be honest, the ratio is in favor of the herbs in this case. This spread is lovely since it does double duty both as a cooking baste and a finishing sauce. The combination of herbs in this recipe is delicious, but of course customizable with the seasons. It was perfect on those grilled yellow squashes that I initially made it for, but I can’t think of a vegetable it wouldn’t shine on. Shoot, it couldn’t hurt a steak or chicken thigh, either.
Prep tips: when I say a handful, I mean a handful — don’t be shy, excessive amounts of herbs is the whole point. The butter should still be spreadable but just barely.
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
a handful of chopped fresh thyme
a handful of chopped fresh rosemary
other chopped fresh herbs as desired, such as tarragon, chives, oregano, etc
1 t salt
4-8 oz [1-2 sticks] salted butter, soft
Toss everything in a bowl and stir/smash together with a rubber spatula. Spread liberally on vegetables towards the end of grilling, and then more as serving.
Amanda Miller lives with her husband, two young children, and whoever else God brings them through foster care on the family dairy farm in Hutchinson. She enjoys doing some catering, teaching cooking classes, and freelancing, but mostly chasing after her kids. Reach her at hyperpeanutbutter@gmail.com.
