Summer has always been my favorite season. As a child, I obviously looked forward to summer vacations and the joys of living barefoot and fancy free for three gloriously sunny months, but for a summer baby the season holds even more excitement. If you're born in the summer, you LIVE for the summer. I feel a special bond with the months of June, July, and August... it's like they were made just for me.
Even as an adult, my love for summer has never waned. I still think of the summer as "time off" even though I still have to go to work and carry on as usual. The seduction of summer now lies in the endless stretch of fresh produce at the Farmers' Market, armfuls of peonies to bring home and display in my sunny dining room, and in freshly picked strawberries that are preserved in glinting glass jars and hold delicious warm secrets until winter comes. Firecrackers on the 4th of July that send gleaming sparks into the cool night air, a sundress for every day, and pretty little sandals that make my feet graceful and dainty in their step. I could go on, but instead I will stop my rambling and I shall revert back to my reference of the Farmers' Market and the bounty of gardens this time of year. While planning my weekly meals I took stock of my refrigerator. Despite the lack of butter, milk, and eggs, I had no shortage of produce. Not even close. Several zucchini and yellow squash, a bin of grape tomatoes, a nearly wilted green bell pepper, and a bin of huge button mushrooms. The obvious solution? Kabobs! I chopped and chopped and threw the happy bunch into a bowl with some last minute marinade. They mingled there for about an hour and then off to the grill they went!
To make your own "Last Minute Marinade" combine olive oil with any sort of acidic thing you have around. I used some red wine and balsamic vinegar and mixed in fresh cracked black pepper, salt, and a few crushed garlic cloves.
