what could be bad?

one of the nicest summer pleasures is a simple, rustic dinner, especially one enjoyed outside and on vacation, as this one was for us. using whatever was around the house that felt summery and outdoorsy (bowls of apples, vases of fresh herbs, bottles of wine), i set a simple table on the deck of our house and we had a wonderful summer meal with music, family and friends. as ina garten would say, "what could be bad?"

taking ina's lead, i made a barbeuce sauce that we used on butterflied chicken breasts on the grill. we also had sausage, potato rolls, corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and mushrooms and prosecco, red wine and beer. using the barefoot contessa barbecue sauce recipe as a guide, i made this sauce which was perfect for about three pounds of chicken the first night, and liberal use on sausage and anything else not nailed down the next day for lunch.

the chicken was marinated in about two thirds of the sauce this recipe yields. you can tweak the amounts as your pantry allows, or your tastes dictate. because we were on an island where groceries are outrageously expensive, i used what we had, which in some cases meant supplementing, skipping or substituting. most of my changes made the sauce thicker, which really worked nicely. next time i make it, i think we'll try it on turkey meatloaf and i'll make a double batch of this sauce to keep some in the fridge.

ocean road barbecue sauce (by way of ina garten)

one and a half cups chopped yellow onion
one tablespoon minced garlic
half cup vegetable oil
half cup tomato paste
half cup ketchup
one cup cider vinegar
half cup honey
half cup worcestershire sauce
one cup dijon mustard (trader joe's dijon mustard is amaaaaaazing)
half cup soy sauce
half cup hoisin sauce
half teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
half teaspoon curry powder
half teaspoon smoked paprika

in a large saucepan on low heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for ten to fifteen minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. add the rest of the ingredients. simmer uncovered on low heat for thirty minutes. use immediately or store in the fridge.

what could be bad?

champagne photo from wikipedia, chicken photo from www.smartmeals.com