Grilling Weather

Sunday afternoon was one of those early spring gifts. Around mid-afternoon the clouds parted, the sun shone, and the brightened greenery was all that remained of the morning showers. Perfect for the season's first grilled burgers.

I've been on an Ina Garten kick for a while, so I treated myself to her Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. Along with our burgers, I made her Caesar Salad with Pancetta and Real Margaritas. The recipes are below. I halved both recipes for the two of us.

Caesar Salad with Pancetta (serves 6-8)

3/4 pound pancetta, sliced 1/2-inch thick (deli counter)

2 pints cherry tomatoes

olive oil

kosher salt

ground black pepper

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing

1 egg yolk at room temp (I leave this out, and it's still good)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

8-10 anchove fillets (optional)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 1/2 cups mild olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pancetta into cubes or strips and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until browned and crisped. Remove to paper towels and drain.

Sprinkle tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on baking sheet for 15 minutes until soft.

Wash lettuce and spin or pat dry. Stack leaves on cutting board and cut cross-ways into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place in mixing bowl.

For dressing, place (egg), mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in food processor. Process until smooth, then add olive oil in a steady stream through feed tube until thick. Add grated Parmesan (1/2 cup) and pulse 3 times.

Toss lettuce with enough dressing to coat well. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan and toss. Divide lettuce among plates. Add tomatoes and pancetta. Serve immediately.

Notes on the Recipe:

I don't think you really have to roast the tomatoes unless you want to. Since I don't use the egg, I don't care if the dressing is perfectly blended. I just put it all in a tupperware container and shake it well. 

Real Margaritas (serves 6)

1 lime, halved

kosher salt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 limes)

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon (1 lemon)

1 cup Triple Sec

3 cups ice

1 cup white tequila (I used Cuervo Gold instead)

If you like salt on the rim, dip your cup in a saucer of lime juice or rub edge with cut lime and dip in kosher salt. 

Combine lime juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec and ice in blender until completely blended. Add tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice with a lime. 

Notes on the Recipe:

I can't find my blender, so I used my food processor. It got a bit messy, but worked fine. If you like your margaritas frozen, halve the ingredients, double the ice, and blend in two batches. Serve with lime.

P.S. When using tequila, you may omit the sass.