Farmer's Grilled Potato Salad

georgehirsch August 15, 2024

*Grilled Summer Squash with Thyme and Thai Basil*

Summer's bounty from the farm inspired this salad, made with baby Yukon potatoes, colorful confetti of grilled peppers, eggplant, zucchini, sweet red, green and white onion & fresh dill. You can embellish this recipe by adding any grilled sliced meats or seafood.

George Hirsch Basket of Fresh Picked Farm Vegetables

Farmer's Grilled Potato Salad
Makes 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
For the Dressing:
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon horseradish
4 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

For the Salad:
2 pounds Yukon, blue or red new potatoes - grill roast, or boil, cool—then chill in refrigerator overnight
1 each sweet white & red onions, sliced and grilled 6 green onions, trimmed and grilled
1 each: red, yellow & green bell peppers, split - grilled, and sliced 1 each eggplant, sliced and grilled1 each green and yellow squash, sliced and grilled1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

Two days before serving: Cook potatoes. If grilling, slice or split potatoes in half; if boiling, leave whole. Cool at room temperature, then place in refrigerator. The day before serving: Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine potatoes and dill in a large bowl. Add 3/4 of the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate overnight. Grill vegetables for 2-3 minutes on each side. Brush with olive oil and top with dill, sea salt, and pepper. Cool at room temperature, then place in refrigerator.

Day of serving: Mix the remaining 1/4 of the dressing in the potatoes. Arrange grilled vegetables on a platter with potato salad. Just before serving. Top with a fresh sprig of dill.

Food Safety Tip: Never put hot or warm food in the refrigerator. Chill to room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator uncovered. After food has become fully chilled, then cover.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Sardinian Style

George Hirsch August 8, 2024

If there was ever a fish perfect for the fire, tuna fits the grill. Anyone who has tried to turn a delicate fish fillet only to find it stuck to the grate will appreciate the firm flesh of a tuna steak.

Fresh tuna is ideal for rich spices. Soy and ginger lend an Asian flavor, maple syrup gives a hint of sweetness, and a salsa topping adds a Mexican flair. Start with fresh fish that has springy flesh and no fishy odor. Use caution; overcooking will quickly dry it.

Sardinia is an island off the coast of Italy where fishing is a way of life. When the tuna is running, most families have tuna for dinner many nights in a row. The tuna in this recipe is quickly seared for only a few minutes on each side, but you can cook it to your liking. And, any fish, such as swordfish, may be substituted for tuna.

Tuna and Tomatoes, Sardinian Style

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Adventures in Grilling cookbook, by George Hirsch with Marie Bianco

Four 6-8 ounce tuna steaks

4 Tablespoons olive oil

12 plum tomatoes cut vertically through the stem ends

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

8 cloves caramelized garlic

4 Tablespoons chopped green olives

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the grill to high.

Brush the tuna with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, place it on a hot grill, and sear for two minutes on each side. Remove the tuna, set it aside, and keep it warm.

Preheat a sauté pan and add the remaining olive oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and olives. Cook for two minutes, and add white wine, basil, and black pepper. Stir the tomato mixture and add it to the warm tuna steaks.

TIP: Serve with a good chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Backyard Street Food

George Hirsch July 18, 2024

A national dish of Indonesia, the satay, is a marinated skewered meat with sauce, usually spicy. Satay is often served in Malaysia by street-side vendors. It's an easy and quick solution to backyard grilling. I thought this would be a fun dish to cook street-side on 67th Street in NYC on Live! The three of us had a blast making this on a NYC street - imagine the fun you and your guests can have in your backyard. It's also one of those informal dishes that doesn't require a fork and a knife.

TIP: I always prefer using metal skewers as I find the food cooks faster and more uniformly. But bamboo skewers are very handy when in a pinch and when cleanup of the skewers is not practical. Just make sure to soak the bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes before threading to avoid the skewers from burning up on the grill.

Pork Satay with Sesame Dipping Sauce

Makes 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 3-inch-long pieces

For the Marinade:

1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Juice from two limes

Three cloves garlic, chopped

Two teaspoons each of soy sauce and sesame oil

1 green onion, chopped

6 long skewers

Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.

Cut pork lengthwise into thin 1/4-inch slices. Tip: It is easier to cut meat when it is very cold.

Thread pork onto each of the six skewers. Reserve 1/3 cup of marinade in a small bowl. Brush the remaining marinade over both sides of the pork. Cover the pork, and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill pork until cooked through, two-four minutes per side. Brush pork with reserved marinade. If available, serve on a fresh banana or ty leaf and top with chopped green or red onion.

Although serving a peanut dipping sauce with a satay is very common, I find my Sesame Dipping Sauce to go better with the pork.

For the Sesame Dipping Sauce

Recipe George Hirsch | Makes one cup

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup lite soy sauce

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons Mae Ploy Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl one hour before serving. Serve as a dipping sauce for Satay, steamed dumplings, or summer rolls.

Optional: to make spicy add 1 teaspoon of chili sauce or hot pepper flakes.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Tastes Like Steak

George Hirsch July 11, 2024

Today we are grilling up a vegetable that's flavor resembles a meaty protein. They're so meaty in taste. Eating one is almost like cutting into a piece of steak. Portobello mushrooms make great appetizers but also have earned their position on the main course plate.

Chef George Hirsch's Grilled Portobella Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms, a larger relative of the crimini, are the largest of all cultivated mushrooms with tan or brown caps, often reaching 6 to 7 inches across. For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have revered mushrooms’ health benefits. Mushrooms have long been celebrated as a source of powerful nutrients. They can also help us meet the dietary and vitamin D recommendations and benefit from this leading source of the antioxidant selenium, which helps maintain a healthy immune system. (mushroomcouncil.org)

Gorgonzola Mushrooms

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

As a variation, add one of the following to the stuffing: 1/4 cup grilled and diced ham, meat from 2 grilled spicy Italian sausages, or 1/2 cup chopped grilled shrimp.

8 large mushrooms, 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter

2 Tablespoons olive oil'1/2 cup chopped grilled onion

3 scallions, grilled and chopped

Puree from 4 cloves Caramelized Garlic

2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs, cooked rice, or other grain

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat the grill.

Grill Temperature | high, then medium. SEE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Remove the mushroom stems with a knife and set them aside. Brush the caps with oil, grill over high for 1 minute on each side, and remove. Chop the stems and combine with the onion, scallions, and garlic in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups of the bread crumbs, milk, cilantro, and hot sauce, and mix well. Add the cheese and stir until the mixture is smooth. Fill the mushroom caps evenly with the mixture and roll them in the remaining bread crumbs. Brush lightly with the remaining olive oil and grill over medium heat until tender.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Ramping Up!

George Hirsch April 30, 2024

A ramp is one of the first green veggies to sprout up in springtime. It is also known as wild leek or spring onion, which is fitting since it adds a sweet onion and a bit of garlicky flavor to various dishes. Add ramps to pep up a dish; they are ideal for soups, eggs, potatoes, and seafood. One of my favorite ways to prepare a ramp is grilled, which brings out its natural sweetness. It is ideally served atop a grilled pizza.

The how-to is simple, Grilled Ramp: After cutting off the stem end, wash the whole ramps and dry them. Drizzle olive oil over the whites and greens, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and grill on high heat until lightly charred. Cool, then place on pizza before baking as you would add any topping.

Do you lack time to make the dough? Then, top with my easy Nann-style flatbread pizza recipe with grilled ramps. But I encourage you to make time and toss the dough on my flatbread pizzas, as seen on the George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series.

Grilled Three-Cheese Naan Pizza

Makes four appetizer servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 pre-baked Naan Bread Crust

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

1/2 cup goat cheese or feta

6 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat grill to medium or an oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush Naan on both sides with olive oil. Top Naan on one side with cheeses leaving a half-inch border around the crust. Place Naan on the grill's top shelf or bake on a pizza pan for about five minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted. Remove and top with fresh basil and pepper, and serve immediately.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95