The high temperature today was supposed to be a ripe old 60 degrees, but in actuality we barely broke 50 here in Northern Virginia. No matter: The grill beckoned regardless, and I was only too happy to respond to its siren song!
I’m still a little out of practice with the ol’ barbecue, this being only the second time I’ve used it since spring sprung, and admittedly tonight I almost made a rookie mistake when I found my charcoal bag empty and the grill barely half-full of coal. But thank goodness for Past Hope, who left half a bag of Match Light over from last season for Present Hope to discover! Oh, happy day!
And so I was able to fire up the grill with a flourish and then place a pan of baked beans atop the grate to cook for half an hour while the tater tots (the rest of the bag from last week’s creamed tuna dinner) baked in the oven indoors. (I’ve still never found a good way to bake them on the outdoor grill but would welcome suggestions!) With about 10 minutes to go, I tossed the veggie dogs on the grill as well, turning every 2 minutes or so, and then put two hot-dog buns on to toast with just a couple of minutes left. Everything was ready at once – oh happy day! – and I pulled all of the ingredients off and set up a little buffet inside, it still being too cold to dine al fresco and whatnot.
We topped our veggie dogs with a heaping helping of black-pepper kraut from our friends at No. 1 Sons – the pepper played so nicely with the Savoy cabbage and left the kraut with a dainty yet hearty texture and taste – and dug in! Everything was fantastic, if I do say so myself, and indeed there are no tater tots left (as per usual – we’re not proud). But – but! – there are plenty of veggie dogs left for lunches this week, as well as a hearty serving or two of baked beans. So we can begin the workweek with vigor.
Have a great week, all!
:)