Hot summer nights in March

Jeebus, it's still March and dang if it isn't 80 degrees here in the Ditch.  The heat makes my man genes call out for BBQ so that's the agenda for tonight.

And since the first Spring lamb is at the butcher shop, it's a slam dunk deal.

Lamb kabob and greek salad: the perfect thing for the first hot night of summer.

Step one create a marinade. 

I made my speshul lamb rub  (I'm sure I've put the recipe in here somewhere. Ask me if you don't find it) and put a few tbsp into a gallon freezer bag.  In a whim I added some  ground coriander, ground fennel seed, dry mustard and curry and a few sprigs of thyme (cause that's how I roll).

I took the 2lbs of lamb shoulder chunks and dropped em into the bag.  Shake?  not yet.

First I took 5 cloves of garlic and a fistful of fresh mint and rosemary* from the garden and chopped the beJesus out of it in my food processor (thanks, Uncle Rog) and put that into the bag too.  shake shake shake

The perfecly browninsh/green fragrant meat chunks then went in to a bowl only to be coated with some of my best red wine vinegar and a slap of virgin olive oil** and into the fridge for 4 or 5 hours.  The longer the better, you of course already know..

*  fresh mint and rosemary from my front garden

** Lamb marinade in motion

Then kaboom, onto some skewers  (or as Andre Gide in his travel writing while in northern Afghanistan  noted;  use the rod for cleaning your rifle) and over the blazing grill as hot as I can make it with some orange and yellow peppers and some fresh mushrooms and the surprise inspiration of the moment: fresh pineapple chunks -  and it's just about as Summer as it gets around here.  some Lagunitas  "Little Sumpin'" was a nice touch too, along with a fresh tossed Greek salad.

Then it's movie time with my friends Bryan and Alyse in north Canyon tonight.

Searing them over a blazing fire like we're in the mountains of Afghanistan......