If you've ever been to Halifax, you know that the weather can best be described as...spastic. It can start off cold in the morning, be boiling in the afternoon, and freezing by night time. Similarly (as is currently happening), there can be a snow day, followed by a couple blistering hot days, followed by more cold and snow. It seems that every spring we are teased with a little hope of summer, only to have our dreams dashed away when the cold wind comes whipping back. Even knowing that it won't last, these small blotches of warmness after a cold and wet winter will always be celebrated with cute summer dresses, shorts, and most importantly beers and BBQ on a friends balcony.
I love BBQ's because they require very little patience and table manners. You bring you food, find a spot on the grill, and when it's ready you take it off and eat it. No waiting for everything to be done and everyone to have food before you can start digging in, no fear of being out of food when others still have tasty treats in front of them. The BBQ is about sharing, sharing food, and chocolate and beer so no one is ever empty handed. The BBQ meal is a delicious art that allows for hours of continuous eating and fun. This is my kind of meal.
Very fittingly, on the first day of spring (and my birthday!) we had a couple of these lovely summer days amidst a cold and rainy winter. So following tradition I trekked over to my friends place with a bag full of salmon, eggplant, shitake mushrooms, pineapple and fudge to kick off the season.
My first project was the eggplant. I've never made grilled eggplant myself but I do know it is delicious, so I chopped it up and put it on the grill. Others had made sausage that I munched on while I waited for more room to clear for the same. It was that cheese filled salmon that is usually only good over the campfire or for a hungover morning, but it was perfect for the occasion and filled my grease quadrant for the night. A bit of space freed on the grill so I through on the salmon and mushrooms. I nudged the eggplant right on top of the big fire in hopes it would cook faster- the munchies were beginning to set it.
The eggplant looked a little dry on the outside, and it was very hard to bite into. The inside was nice and juicy but not very flavourful. My grilled eggplant was definitely a fail. Pro tip: next time wrap in foil and throw some sauce in.
Next were the mushrooms, which I made a last minute decision to stuff with blue cheese. These certainly made up for the dryness of the eggplant, they were squishy and juicy and filled with cheesy mushroomy goodness. The juices leaked all over my shirt, but that's what barbecues are all about!
I got one of those pre-spiced salmon fillets, and it didn't grill the greatest. I remember it not cooking in the oven that nicely either, it does flake up the nice way that normal salmon does and it makes me wonder what they actually put on it... I still finished it though, fish is fish and I am a fish girl through and through.
It started to get dark so I brought out the fudge and pineapple. Everyone was extremely full but the fudge made it around the circle twice. So sweet yet so addictive nobody could say no. The pineapple came off the grill tasting meaty, another pro tip: clean the grill before putting on fruit. But we devoured it nonetheless, for people had started to get a little buzzed, and it was still nice and warm out even though it was now dark. The stars were out and we tried to name constellations. I can name about zero. We talked about movies we were excited to see, books we had just read, next semesters, and new degrees. It was a lazy summer night in the middle of spring. And then I got a text, asking me to go back to the office to sign a few things, and the dream was over, I had to head back to reality.
Friday morning was cold and dreary but that nice summer night was enough to get me through to July...hopefully.
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