Recipe(tried): Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Eggplant and Fo

In addition to the recipes that I am posting, we had Steamed Asparagas and Garlic Bread. Werewolves would not have dared come near us last night:-)!! Actually, I was up in the air about whether or not to fix the eggplant but it sounded good and I wanted to try it. We had way too many dishes but we enjoyed them all. Sometimes it is fun to have lots of different things to taste:-)!

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops from Bon Appetit, July 1995 Serves 4

3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
6 Tbl. olive oil
3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbl. fresh rosemary or 3 tsp. dried
6 galic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground black pepper
12, 1-inch-thick loin lamb chops, fat trimmed

1 1/2 c. mesquite wood chips, soaked in cold water 1 hour (optional)

I halved this recipe. In fact, I used 5 lamb chops but we only ate 4 since we had so many other dishes. You may find that 2 lamb chops per person is enough. The recipe allows for 3 lamb chops per person.

Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Place lamb chops in single layer in 13 X 9 X 2 inch glass dish. Pour marinade over. Cover with foil and refrigerate 4 hours, turning lamb chops occasionally.

Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat). When coals turn white, drain chips, if using, and scatter over coals. When chips begin to smoke, season lamb with salt and pepper and place on grill. Cover; grill chops to desired doneness, basting often with marinade, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter and serve.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2 russett or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 Tbl. fresh rosemary, chopped
Minced garlic (optional - I did not use garlic)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (425 degrees if using a metal pan). (I used a large glass casserole). Place potatoes in dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands. Add olive oil. Mix again. Add rosemary and mix again. Spread potatoes pieces out in a single layer. Bake for 1/2 hour (30 minutes). If you try to stir these before 1/2 hour is up, you will find that they stick terribly. Don't disturb them for 1/2 hour. At the end of this time, the potatoes should be done. Using a spatual turn them and mix them and cook for another 5 minutes to get the other sides a little brown and crispy.

Grilled Eggplant and Fontina Sandwiches from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook Grilling - Makes six sandwiches; serves 6

Here the word sandwich is used loosely. The Fontina is sandwiched between 2 slices of the eggplant. "These have a good savory flavor and are delicious warm or at room temperature. They can even be reheated on the grill or in the oven the next day. If you can't find Fontina Cheese, use Monterey Jack, mozzarella or any other mild cheese that will compliment fresh sage."

1 large eggplant, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and 6-7 inches (15-18 cm) long
salt for sprinkling on eggplant, plus 1/2 tsp.
1/3 c. (3 fl oz/80 ml) olive oil
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
5 oz (155 g) Italian Fontina Val D'Aosta cheese, thinly sliced
handful of fresh sage leaves, optional

Cover a baking sheet with absorbent paper towels. Cut the eggplant crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch(12 mm) thick. You should have 12 slices in all. Sprinkle both sides of each slice lightly with salt. Spread the slices out on a baking sheet and cover with more paper towels. Let stand for at least one hour, then rinse the slices and pat them dry.
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, chopped or dried sage, 1/2 tsp. salt and the pepper. Shake vigorously.
Prepare a fire in a grill. Position the oiled grill rack 4 inches (10 cm) above the fire. Arrabge the eggplant slices on the rack. Grill, turning them once or twice and brushing with the oil mixture, until light;y browned, about 8 minutes. Top half of the slices with a piece of cheese and 2 or 3 sage leaves, if you have them, then cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Grill, turning once, until the cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes longer.
I actually used 2 smaller eggplants since the larger ones were unavailable at the store where I shopped yesterday. If you used smaller ones, these could easily be used as an appetizer.

Mesclun with Toasted Almonds and my "sort of" Balsamic Vinaigrette

Place mesclun on individual salad plates. Scatter toasted, sliced almonds over the top. Pass the vinaigrette so each person can use the amount they like.
To toast sliced almonds, place them on a baking pan in a single layer. Toast in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Watch closely since they will turn too dark easily.

Balsamic Vinaigrette (sort of :-) )

1 1/2 tsp. - 1 Tbl. prepared Dijon-style mustard
4 Tbl. red wine vinegar
1 Tbl. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. canola oil

Place all ingredients except the olive oil in a jar and mix, letting sugar and salt dissolve. Slowly add olive oil a little at a time until all is incorporated.