Roasted Garlic

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes (from Grill It! page 68). The vinaigrette called for roasted garlic so I took a whole garlic clove and cut off the bottom. Then I wrapped the garlic, together with some olive oil in a square of foil, and roasted it during the first half of the first playoff game - about an hour. Once it was done and cool enough to handle the garlic itself just slipped out of the peel. I threw the roasted garlic into a processor with white wine vinegar, honey, red chili flakes and a bunch of fresh cut oregano. Once it was all chopped up, I added olive oil and kosher salt and let it just sit during the second half. Later, during the second playoff game, when the chicken and potatoes came off the grill, I drizzled the vinaigrette over it all. That roasted garlic together with the oregano and red pepper made the chicken savory but with a kick. 


Weather Report. I don't know if it will ever stop raining. My next door neighbor is building an arc.


What to drink? It was chicken with olive oil and spices so we paired the Blackstone Chardonnay from central California. The wine was cool and smooth. The chicken was hot and spicy so it was a great counter balance. A white wine but a great match even when it was cold outside.


What was on? They say that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I guess that is why I was routing for the Jets and it looked pretty good for a while. I didn't know who to be for in the second game, so it was fortunate that it was a good game. I have never been a big Favre fan, but you gotta like an old guy getting pounded and getting back up. I have never been a big Saints fan, but you gotta love a team fighting for a city and going where they have never gone before - the Super Bowl. It would have been better if Favre had been playing for the Saints. It seemed he could have landed anywhere after leaving the Jets and Packers. But the Saints have a great QB already and he got the last laugh. In the end Favre was Favre. He threw the INT instead of sliding and kicking the game winning field goal. He did the same thing in the same game three years ago for the Packers. I have seen every Super Bowl since number I (actually the first Super Bowl was not called Super Bowl I. It was called the NFL-AFL Championship game), so I will watch this one as well, but since the enemy of my enemy is my friend, I will hope the Saints go marching.


There is a break in the rain forecasted - but not a break in the grilling streak!
Paul