Rob's inspiration

 

I'm in the middle of canning and otherwise processing all the peaches we got off the tree, which is exhausting, especially considering the bad foot. So on one of the hottest days of the year here -- it got all the way up to -- GASP -- 81 degrees.

We Venturans are like hothouse flowers, we only thrive in a very narrow band of temperatures, which is good because almost every day here, summer, winter, fall and spring is in the upper 60s early 70s. People here don't even have air conditioners and our fans tend to get dusty between uses.

So there I was with massive pots on the stove to peel the peaches and to process and sterilize the jars. Rob comes home from the store and has the bright idea of making grilled sausage with peppers and onions. Our peppers are looking pretty good this year, which is nice since the eggplants have all succumbed to a wilt. While this would seem a wonderful idea, when one is armpit-high in peach pits, the idea of cooking anything else is not met with a smile, to say the least.

In spite of my growling, I hauled out this really cool grilling basket I bought last year and have never used. It's designed specifically for this kind of thing. Rob didn't even know we had it. I grilled the sausage and sprayed the grilling basket with canola oil. I then cut the peppers and onions into large (about an inch to one and a half inches). I grilled them on the grill. Rob teamed his beef sausage with peppers, onions and a large, hoagie-type roll and I had bratwurst and veggies on a hot dog bun.

I have to hand it to him. Despite the initial annoyance, this was a great idea for a quick summer meal on a hot day. But don't anyone tell him I said that ...