Mother’s Day Lunch

Savor

Since this day is all about Mom, let her relax on the sun porch, in a hammock, or out by the pool with a good book. You can fire up the grill and treat her to a light and tasty lunch or early dinner. We’ve pulled together some recipes for a suggested menu. Entertain the kids and let them help by giving them their own pizza dough to make themselves mini pizzas with their choices of toppings when you’re prepping the flatbread.

Grilled Artichokes

Ingredients:

6 fresh artichokes

2 lemons halved, plus 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

1 tsp. minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil 

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. With serrated knife, cut stems from artichokes to 1-inch long, then bend back and snap off dark outer leaves. Cut top inch off each artichoke. Peel dark green areas from stem and base of artichoke with a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife. Quarter each artichoke. Using knife, cut out the furry inedible choke and remove purple, prickly tipped leaves from center of each wedge. Place finished artichokes in a large bowl of cold water and squeeze 2 lemons into water and stir. Continue with remaining artichokes. Once finished, drain artichokes and place into boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain cooked artichokes and place onto preheated grill. Cook until tender with light charring in spots, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, add remaining 1/3 c. lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in olive oil. Toss grilled artichokes in garlic/parsley mixture and serve.

Veggie Flatbread

Ingredients:

1/2 c. parsley leaves and thin stems

1/4 c. fresh basil

1/4 c. fresh tarragon

1/4 c. fresh chives

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, smashed

1½ Tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

1 to 2 pinches red pepper flakes, or more to taste

3/4 c. olive oil, plus more for brushing flatbread

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced diagonally 1/3” thick

1/2 lb. asparagus spears1 red onion, sliced 1/3” thick

1 lb. ball pizza dough (fresh or frozen, thawed)

8 oz. ricotta cheese

Preparation:

Combine all herbs, lemon zest, 2 tsp. lemon juice, garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender to make salsa verde. Process until leaves are finely minced. With machine running, slowly add 1/2 c. olive oil until sauce is a creamy yellow-green color. Salt and pepper to taste. Build a two-zone fire, placing preheated charcoal briquets on one half of the bottom grill grate and leaving the other side void. Toss zucchini, asparagus and red onions with 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Grill over direct heat, turning often, until tender and charred in spots, about 5 minutes; transfer to void side of the grill. Lightly oil grill grate and divide pizza dough in half. Gently roll and stretch each piece into a rectangle or oval about 14x8 inches and transfer to two lightly oiled baking sheets. (If it springs back, cover and let rest 10 minutes, then stretch again). Transfer dough to grill over direct heat. Cook until first side is lightly charred and dough is dry and stiff; one to two minutes. Turn and cook just until reverse side has a few light grill marks; 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to baking sheets and let cool slightly. Top charred side of dough with grilled vegetables, dividing evenly. Dollop ricotta over vegetables on both flatbreads and drizzle with salsa verde. Cut each flatbread into three to four pieces and serve immediately.

Grilled Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 large lemon, juiced

1 to 2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/3 c. fresh grated Parmesan

1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste

1 large (or 2 small to medium) romaine heart

Preparation:

For dressing, whisk together olive oil, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat barbecue to medium to medium-high heat. Cut romaine heart(s) in half lengthwise. Brush cut sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place romaine cut side-down on grill and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until charred but not overly wilted. Serve still warm. For presentation, serve romaine hearts whole and dress to your liking, or slice lettuce crosswise and serve in a bowl with dressing. Top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients:

8 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

1½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1½ Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. In medium bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, rosemary, mustard, lemon juice, ground black pepper, and salt. Place chicken breasts in resealable plastic bag. Pour garlic mixture over chicken, reserving 1/8 cup. Seal bag and massage marinade into chicken. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Place chicken on preheated grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn chicken, baste with reserved marinade, and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest at least 2 minutes before serving.

Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce

Ingredients:

2 medium peaches

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 c. bourbon

Vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

Heat grill to medium-high. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Lightly brush soft side with oil. Place peaches face down on grill and cook 3-5 minutes. If you’d like to soften the peaches throughout, you can move peaches skin-side down to a higher rack and let cook another 3-5 minutes. While peaches are cooking, bring butter, brown sugar, and bourbon to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally and simmer about 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Remove peaches from grill. To serve, place two peach halves on each plate and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and brown sugar bourbon sauce.