Recipe(tried): Zesty Garlic Shrimp, and Grilled Polenta, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomato, Onion, Basil and Parmesan Saute, Classic Greek Salad

This is a meal that we had last Saturday night. The Shrimp (from Weber's Big Book of Grilling) and Polenta (from Williams-Sonoma's cookbook, Grilling) recipes were both ones that I had not made before. Both were really good:-) I served them with a Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomato, Onion, Basil,and Parmesan cheese saute, and a Classic Greek Salad. Plan to make the Polenta the night before or several hours before, at the very least, since it must be very well chilled before you cut it. An alternative (if you are in a crunch for time) would be to purchase Polenta that is already made in the refrigerated section of your grocery store but homemade is far superior, in my opinion.

Zesty Garlic Shrimp
This recipe is meant to be an appetizer but I used it as a main course, increasing the number of shrimp for each person. I, also, used large shrimp rather than jumbo shrimp since that is what I had. "Set a bunch of marinated jumbo shrimp on the grill and your guests will love you. Tah dah!"

For the marinade

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbl. finely chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbl. fresh oregano, minced, or 2 tsp. dried
oregano
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

20 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/4 lbs.), peeled and
deveined
1 Tbl. fine dried bread crumbs

To make the marinade: In a medium bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients.

Place the shrimp in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the shrimp from the bag and discard the marinade. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, either one per skewer as an hors d'oeuvre or five per skewer as an appetizer. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the shrimp. Grill over direct medium heat until just opaque in the center and firm to the touch, 4 to 6 minutes, turning the skewers once halfway through grilling time. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 20 servings

Grilled Polenta

3 c. (24 fl oz/ 750 ml) water
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
3/4 c. (4 oz./ 125 g) polenta or yellow cornmeal
3/4 c. (3 oz/ 90 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
olive oil

Combine the water, salt and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually add the polenta or cornmeal, whisking constantly so it doesn't lump. Lower the heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until quite thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and cayenne.

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate with plastic wrap, letting it extend over the edges. Spread the polenta evenly over the plastic wrap and smooth the top with a spoon. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. (I let the polenta cool some before refrigerating it. I, also, don't think this would have been sufficiently chilled in 1 hour in the refrigerator, but maybe. I chilled mine overnight.)

Prepare fire in a grill. Position the oiled grill rack 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) above the fire. Invert the pie plate to unmold the polenta. Peel off the plastic wrap. Cut the polenta into 6 pie-shaped wedges. Brush each wedge lightly on both sides with oil. Arrange the polenta wedges on the rack. Grill, turning two or three times, until golden, about 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6

Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomato, Onion, Basil and Parmesan Saute

2 Zucchini squash, rinsed, dried and cut into about 3/4 inch pieces
2 Yellow summer squash, rinsed, dried, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 or 4 slices of onion about 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 - 2 Tbl. butter
1 Tbl. water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large tomato, halved and each half cut into about 8 or 10, 1 inch pieces
2 Tbl. fresh basil, chopped fairly finely
1/4 to 1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter over low heat in a medium to large sized skillet. Place rings of onion, pieces of zucchini and yellow squash and water in skillet with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until all of the water and juice from the squash has evaporated and the squash is just cooked, another 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.* Add the tomato pieces, and basil, and gently mix. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and return cover to the pan so the tomatoes will get warm and the Parmesan cheese will melt. I like to use an enameled, cast iron skillet for this since it will retain the heat to heat the tomatoes and melt the cheese, as well as keep the saute warm, if need be, until the rest of the meal is ready. Serve hot.

* Remove the skillet from the heat, after the squash is just cooked and before adding the basil, tomatoes and Parmesan. If you don't, the squash will be overcooked, the basil won't retain it's pretty green color, the tomatoes will be overcooked and the Parmesan will become stringy. Returning the lid to the skillet after adding those ingredients should keep it warm for quite a while, especially if the skillet is a heavy one.

Greek Salad
The wife of a Greek friend of ours made this for us many years ago in California. She added a beautifully ripe avocado so in a nod of appreciation to her, I usually try to add one as well. Just try to make sure that all of the vegetables are beautifully and perfectly ripe - the best you can find.

Classic Greek Salad

4 plump tomatoes, cored and quartered or cut into eighths
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
2 green peppers, seeded and cut into thin round slices
2 to 3 salted anchovies (optional)
15 to 20 kalamata olives
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into thin round slices
1/3 lb. feta cheese, either sliced or cut into wedges or crumbled
1 or 2 avocados, peeled and sliced or cut into chunks (add right before the last toss of the salad)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, or slightly less to taste
Splash of red wine vinegar (optional - the original
recipe does not call for it)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt to taste

Combine tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, anchovies, and half of both the onions and feta in a medium sized bowl. Toss gently. Strew remaining onions and feta over top of salad. Douse with olive oil and season with oregano and salt. Toss, gently, once more just before serving.