Labor Day Menu: Grill Roasted Chicken with Sage, Butter & Wine Sauce

I cannot believe it's almost Labor Day. No way is it almost Labor Day. I still haven't posted the promised whole pig smoke bonanza promised in July! Sigh. I want to show it in part via video and I'm slow at these things. And, I know you've heard the whine before, but I'm a barbecue caterer, people! Summer is the Superbowl. A really really long Superbowl before we all blow out our knees and fall back to the B leagues or whatever it is in football.

I really shouldn't speak in football analogies. I'll only embarrass myself.

Lucky for you, you get this TIMELY post for Labor Day. I wrote it for Char-broil a while ago. They are smart and give me deadlines well ahead of the actual publish date.

An even though I cooked it months ago, I'm still thinking about this chicken. Chicken on the grill, slathered in sage and drizzled with a shallot, butter white wine sauce. Mmm. Finished indirectly on my grill, it stayed so moist that it melted in my mouth. I'm just going to have to make it again. For Labor Day! Read the recipe here.

Heavenly Halloumi - True Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is a staple at our house. If the cobbler’s children have no shoes, then the caterer’s kids have a sorry selection in the refrigerator. During the busy times it’s often down to a few questionable gallon Ziplock bags of leftovers, a plethora of strange condiments, and the ever staple brick of Tillamook cheddar cheese. The cheese is the refrigerator’s saving grace, really.

But of course that grilled cheese isn’t really grilled, is it? Sure, you can grill bread and cheese with some success, but I’ve found our flat top cast iron pan gives better results than any outdoor grill.

That’s why I love Halloumi. It’s the cheese you grill! Hailing from Cypress, it requires no preparation. No oil, no salt, and with so much flavor you really need not fuss it up with spices. Just slice and throw it on the grill. Serve it warm with a spritz of lemon, or top a summer salad like I’ve done here. 

I added our first-of-the-season red pepper from the garden (that’s a big deal in Seattle!), avocado and arugula. A simple balsamic vinaigrette or yogurt dressing pairs nicely with it.

And guess what? The kids loved it. Things are looking up for our refrigerator. And fall is just around the corner. That’s when this mama really starts cooking. No really. In summertime, when we are cooking for hundreds to thousands of people each week, it means at home we allow a fair amount of take out or ready- made foods from our local PCC deli, but come fall this caterer remembers just how much she likes to cook. Especially at home.