Damsel and I did some last-minute grocery shopping today to throw together a weekend meal. We typically don’t go to the supermarket on the weekend, but today is an exception due to having been in Arizona on shopping day.

Image: On the grill today - click to enlarge.

Damsel spotted a couple of little bacon-wrapped tenderloin steaks in the butcher case, so we grabbed them and some other stuff and headed back to prepare our meal. I cranked up the grill and roasted the ears of corn for a half hour before shucking them and putting them on the grill basted with butter and fresh ground black pepper. We also put some broccoli on the griddle with olive oil and pepper. The tenderloins cooked to perfection over the last burner

It was an awesome meal, if we do say so ourselves! In addition to the faire above, we had a southwestern-style salad with home grown tomatoes and a sliced cucumber thrown in - equally as awesome. We were stuffed and still have enough steak left over for a salad during the week.

Please do not drool on your keyboard.

We enjoyed our hybrid* BBQ ribs for the Fourth of July Holiday entreé. Damsel prepared steamed cauliflower, Mediterranean pasta salad and baked beans as side dishes for this tasty treat. Click on the image to enlarge.

*Hybrid refers to the way we prepare them. After we cut the rack into two halves, they go in the crock pot slow cooker along with two six ounce cans of apple juice and one six ounce can of pineapple juice, salt and pepper to taste (we don’t use salt). They cook on high for two or three hours and are then transferred to the grill where they get browned while basting with Damsel’s homemade barbecue sauce.

We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. We will be barbecuing, watching fireworks and we’ll put on a DVD after that. Click on the eagle to see a larger view.

Today’s dinner menu was one of my favorite meals. We had Chicken Fried Steak with mashed cauliflower/potato medley, savory home grown green beans and bacon and Damsel’s killer white gravy.

The steaks are actually made from Fillet Mignon (beef tenderloin) pounded flat. The steaks are coated with flour and seasonings and pan fried to golden brown. The same pan is used to prepare the gravy. Damsel uses the pan drippings and adds a little extra virgin olive oil and flour. after simmering the flour, some milk is added to combine with the other ingredients.

The mashed potato medley actually is half cauliflower, half red potatoes with a few cloves of garlic thrown into the pot. During the mashing, butter, shredded Romano cheese and a little milk are added to the mix.

Our green beans were home-grown Kentucky Wonder beans cut into one inch pieces and boiled until tender. The beans are removed from the pan and drained and a couple of bacon strips chopped into bits are browned in the pan. Savories (chopped onion and minced garlic) are added in and carmelized. When that’s done, the beans are added back into the pan, a little granulated sweetener and a splash of red wine vinegar is added to deglaze the pan. It’s my job to prepare the green beans.

It was an awesome meal. I was tempted to clean my plate, but I saved some of the steak for a lunch this coming week. I enjoyed Fathers Day dinner a lot.

I just picked this nice heirloom tomato from our garden today. I took this photo of it while is was still on the vine. Click on the image to enlarge.

This will probably wind up in a tomato on rye sandwich later this week.

I blogged a few days ago about our so-called Artichoke Farm. I was joking, of course, about Damsel’s first backyard garden artichoke crop ever. Today, while we were running several errands, some road construction caused me to detour through a residential area where we found a house with artichokes growing in a planter along the sidewalk.

I counted at least 20 artichokes in Damsel’s photo (click image to see the entire photo) of just part of the artichoke patch in front of the house. It made me laugh to see this mature artichoke patch growing literally dozens of pods.

As of a few days ago, there were two artichokes growing in the garden after all. I didn’t spot the second, smaller pod because it was hiding under one of the large leaves the plant grows. The two pods are currently softball and tennis ball sizes. I was hoping that we would get a second one since we decided to let the first one become an artichoke thistle flower.

Yesterday, I discovered a third ‘choke growing on the second artichoke plant. We haven’t decided on it’s fate yet, but there is a better than 50% chance that it will also become a flower. Today, I found a forth ‘choke in the third plant. The jury is out on the fate of that one.

This means we can have our ‘choke and eat it too! Click on the image to enlarge.

Damsel and I prepared our Superbowl Sunday meal today - we decided on pulled pork sandwiches served with blue cheese broccoli slaw and a dill pickle, a traditional Memphis pit BBQ meal.

I started the picnic roast (pork shoulder) in the crockpot early this morning, throwing in some pepper, fruit juices, chopped onion and garlic cloves. We let it cook all day. When I pulled the pork it was literally falling off of the bone. I used a couple of forks to shred the meat and separate the lean stuff away from the fat.

Damsel came up with a wonderful home made barbecue sauce with that tart southern cooked taste. She placed a scoop of the shredded pork on a bun and topped it with the sauce. It was the best.

We chowed down during the pregame show and took our after dinner walk at halftime. It was a great meal, a good football game and an all around great day - really a Super Sunday.

What you are looking at is Barbecued Pizza - really. I put the pizza stone out on the gas BBQ, close the lid and adjust the flame for 500° or so. Then, after it’s hot, I bring out the pizza that Damsel has loaded up with goodies, slide it onto the stone and close the lid on it for ten or fifteen minutes.

The ingredients are mostly heart-healthy, like the marinated artichoke hearts, olives and sliced tomatoes, but what would a pizza be without mozzarella cheese (low fat, of course) and some meat like the thin Italian pancetta slices we spread over the top. We served ourselves a slice and a half each with a green salad on the side.

Damn good, if I do say so, myself. Click on the image to enlarge. Remember not to drool on the keyboard.

The centerpiece for today’s Sunday dinner will be these Asian lilies: Sumatra (dark red), Broadway (blush) and white Stargazers. Appropriate for our Chinese-style steamed breast of chicken and steamed veggies with saffron rice.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Today, Damsel and I prepared this sumptuous Italian mozzarella-stuffed meatballs served over angel hair pasta and topped off with Damsel’s killer Marinara sauce.

I prepared the ground meat from lean pork loin and beef round tip. I carefully trimmed the meats and blended the two together through the grinder.

Damsel added the herbs, spices and homemade Italian-style breadcrumbs. She stuffed each of the meatballs with ciliegine - a cherry tomato-sized ball of mozzarella cheese.

Oh yeah, this was excellent. Click image to enlarge. Do not drool on your keyboards.

On the weekends, we give our dog, Bear, an ice cream treat for dogs (Frosty Paws). Last weekend, when I opened up the treat for her, I saw an alien looking out at me . . .