Ever heard of “National Months”?
I hope so because “National Months” is the theme for this month’s “Tasty Tuesdays” posts. For those of you who don’t know, “National Months” are opportunities to have fun exploring a variety of topics each month of the year! I came across the concept of “National Months” while perusing the nationaldaycalendar.com Web site. Lately, I’ve been trying to “celebrate” different “national days” every month (to make my life more fun and less boring), so I’m usually looking for specific days to celebrate, but this month, I ended up more focused on the “National Months” instead of the individual “National Days” like I usually do. I discovered that July features lots of different “National Months”, but I was intrigued by those related to FOOD, a perfect pairing for my “Tasty Tuesdays” posts. So… This month, I’m going to feature recipes that are related to the following “National Months”:
- National Grilling Month
- National Picnic Month
- National Hot Dog Month
- National Baked Beans Month
- National Ice Cream Month
- National Peach Month
Don’t these all sound YUMMY?! I thought so, too! So… This month, I’m going to feature a variety of recipes that will help you celebrate these various “National Months”, but before I get into the recipes, I’m going to share with you Mrs. Beeton’s “Bill of fare for a picnic for 40 persons” since that info is pertinent to National Picnic Month — AND I love picnics! (Note: I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a picnic that had more than “40 persons” in attendance! I think this was probably why I was so intrigued by Mrs. Beeton’s “bill of fare” in her “1861 Classic” called “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management”. I can’t even imagine what a logistical nightmare the planning of such a large picnic would have been for the hostess!) Anyway… Without further ado, here it is:
“BILL OF FARE FOR A PICNIC FOR 40 PERSONS
2149. A joint of cold roast beef, a joint of cold boiled beef, 2 ribs of lamb, 2 shoulders of lamb, 4 roast fowls, 2 roast ducks, 1 ham, 1 tongue, 2 veal-and-ham pies, 2 pigeon pies, 6 medium-sized lobsters, 1 piece of collared calf’s head, 18 lettuces, 6 baskets of salad, 6 cucumbers.
2150. Stewed fruit well sweetened, and put into glass bottles well corked; 3 or 4 dozen plain pastry biscuits to eat with the stewed fruit, 2 dozen fruit turnovers, 4 dozen cheesecakes, 2 cold cabinet puddings in moulds, 2 blancmanges in moulds, a few jam puffs, 1 large cold plum-pudding (this must be good), a few baskets of fresh fruit, 3 dozen plain biscuits, a piece of cheese, 6 lbs. of butter (this, of course, includes the butter for tea), 4 quartern loaves of household broad, 3 dozen rolls, 6 loaves of tin bread (for tea), 2 plain plum cakes, 2 pound cakes, 2 sponge cakes, a tin of mixed biscuits, 1/2 lb. of tea. Coffee is not suitable for a picnic, being difficult to make.
Things not to be forgotten at a Picnic.
A stick of horseradish, a bottle of mint-sauce well corked, a bottle of salad dressing, a bottle of vinegar, made mustard, pepper, salt, good oil, and pounded sugar. If it can be managed, take a little ice. It is scarcely necessary to say that plates, tumblers, wine-glasses, knives, forks, and spoons, must not be forgotten; as also teacups and saucers, 3 or 4 teapots, some lump sugar, and milk, if this last-named article cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood. Take 3 corkscrews.
Beverages — 3 dozen quart bottles of ale, packed in hampers; ginger-beer, soda-water, and lemonade, of each 2 dozen bottles; 6 bottles of sherry, 6 bottles of claret, champagne a discretion, and any other light wine that may be preferred, and 2 bottles of brandy. Water can usually be obtained so it is useless to take it.”
And there you have it: Mrs. Beeton’s “Bill of Fare for a Picnic for 40 Persons”. All I can say is that the Victorians seemed to love their desserts AND their alcoholic beverages!
Anyway… In addition to that bit of information in honor of July being “National Picnic Month”, I am going to feature a recipe in honor of “National Grilling Month”. Ever since Memorial Day (the unofficial start of summer), we’ve been doing A LOT of grilling lately! Sweet Thing loves to grill “burgers and brats”, but I recently discovered something new to grill: SHISH KABOBS! So… I’m going to share a recipe I discovered online which searching for a good marinade recipe. It’s from a Web site called “House of Nash Eats”, and it’s delicious! Without further ado, here’s the recipe:
Best Beef Kabobs Marinade
Marinated Steak Kabobs are the perfect summer meal idea for grilling season, and extra delicious when the meat is marinated for hours in the best beef kabob marinade, then skewered with potatoes, onions, peppers, and other colorful veggies! This fantastic shish kabob marinade helps make this an easy summer meal the whole family will love!
Ingredients
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon black pepper
Kabobs
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
8 ounces Crimini mushrooms
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade.
- Place the cubed meat into a large plastic zip-tight bag and pour all but the reserved marinade over it, then seal and squish to coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours to marinate. This is also a good time to place wooded skewers in water to soak.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 6-8 minutes. Drain well, the toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and mustard. Set aside.
- Preheat grill to high heat while preparing the kabobs. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are roughly the same size as the cubed steak, keeping 3 layers of onion together in each chunk. Drizzle vegetables with the reserved marinade.
- Thread alternating pieces of meat, vegetables, and potatoes until the skewers are filled, aiming for 4-5 pieces of steak on each skewer.
- Place kabobs on the grill directly over the heat and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium and the vegetables start to char just around the edges.
- Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
So, there you have it: the recipe for “Best Beef Kabobs Marinade. I must say, though, that the “House of Nash Eats” Web site has LOTS of additional recipe about this recipe, including answers to such questions as:
- What is the best meat to use for kabobs?
- What vegetables to put on a shish kabob?
- Should I precook vegetables for kabobs?
- What kind of onion is best for kabobs?
- Do you close the grill when cooking kabobs?
- How far in advance can you prep kabobs?
In addition, there’s a list of “More Grilling Recipes like these Shish Kabobs after the FAQs, including one for “Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers” that might just be the next thing I grill this month — in honor of National Grilling Month. If I do, I’ll certainly let you know how they turn out. Until then, though, I’d love to hear what you think about the Best Beef Kabobs Marinade. Bon appetit AND HAPPY “National Grilling (and Picnic) Month!
