It's a Party - I am a Vegetarian Cook

First, there is a little bit of bookkeeping to do, this is my third post of the day, so I want to make sure that everyone seeing this also looks in on my earlier post...Orange Juice ICE CUBES flavored with BOCCE BALL cOcktail for Ovarian cancer awareness Which you can view by clicking HERE. It is a fun post, great recipe, but also an important message.

My second post of the day was a long overdue celebration of one of my earliest and best blogging buddies... GIRLICHEF, the hardest working girl in blogdom! You can find her blog by clicking HERE.

And now... On to my Vegetarian party...

If you read yesterday's post about a wonderful day at the Art Fair in Kansas City, you read about me, the MRS and my neighbors sitting around talking art. Additionally, my good neighbor Herme commented that at one time, she was a vegetarian (challenge extended). We got to talking, and I announced that I could indeed make a vegetarian meal that she would enjoy, everything cooked on the grill (challenge accepted), and was more than just a fancy salad. In fact, no salad at all would be served...

Later in the week, I will be blogging individual dishes, but for now, here's the setting and menu...

Lot of people are saying it is the end of summer, and the end of outside entertaining... It is close, but not yet. Yesterday was another great day for weather, bright blue skies and temps in the 70's. So we set the vegetarian party outside...

And even without meat, it can be classy... Crystal glasses came out for the second time in the season (scares the heckfire out of my wife, she pictures busted glass everywhere, but all was returned to their proper places undamaged), table cloth, cloth napkins, and our new red square dishes...

Grilled eggplant appetizer dip with grilled pita bread...

notice the classy presentation, with lettuce lining the bowl (presentation only, still not a salad)...


A pitcher of Bocce Ball drinks, with frozen Orange Juice Ice cubes...

Grilled eggplant (even more classy presentation with even more lettuce bed, but still not a salad)

Everyone got a grilled salt lick potato...


The march of grilled corn continues (although the quality took a step backwards, still good, but not great).
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with garlic, rosemary, pine nuts and whatever else I could find to hide the taste of nasty, slimy, disgusting mushrooms (some of that may be a personal opinion, 3 of the 4 people attending loved these). I even topped them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Wine... White goes with fish, red goes with beef, what pairs with this meal...

I decided on a good but cheap wine, one of those double sized bottles for only $12. People who don't like meat obviously have no need for the better stuff...

And we finished up the night around the firepit with a chipotle creme brulee. Yes, it was indeed cooked on the grill... Everything above was cooked on the grill!

So there you go, a complete vegetarian meal, cooked on the grill. My wife and neighbor, Herme completely enjoyed the effort (as i enjoyed the challenge). They were very full and no meat was needed by them (challenge Completed)...

I am not them...

My neighbor, Jim and I enjoyed all of the above plus a grilled Mediterranean inspired marinated LAMB CHOP.

Stay tuned this week for details...