Mary's Beer Can Chicken

For our third attempt at beer can chicken, Mary decided she would try her hand at it.  I won't post the recipe here because they are ubiquitous and she used one she found after a Google search - the same as we have the other times we've made this.

There were a few tweaks worth noting this time - she grilled on the gas side of the Big Unit, using the little stand accessory we bought when I got the Weber for Hawksbill Cabin.  She also used a "generic" Wisconsin Lager as the beer, which she had purchased from Trader Joes.

It's come out just fine every time, but I do think that we are getting close to a place where we'll use a consistent recipe going forward. Future variations might include using the competition rub from my barbecue team, and we might also try the simple Greek "Glekas" style marinade of honey, lemon, and oregano.

Those are some truck patch tomatoes in the background, and the squash and egg plant in the foreground also came from the backyard.  The sweet corn was from Public House Produce out in Luray.  Everything was delicious.

Fresh from the Truck Patch

Last week, Mary was able to go out to Hawksbill Cabin and spend some time there - she left me in charge of the truck patch while she was gone, and I was able to coax the tomato plants along enough to produce a couple of fruit - before July 4 even!

Here are the first two tomatoes out of the patch.  This week, she has quite a few crook neck yellow squash showing up, and there are the first eggplants too.  Meanwhile, she's pulled off several more tomatoes - and the first two have been eaten!

Now, I also have a photo here from Public House Produce.  Their first haul of tomatoes came in last week as well - of course, David is growing heirlooms at scale.  So this is just a peek at what's to come for the rest of the summer harvest season.

Hopefully the combination of wet and hot weather means a good truck patch season for everybody!

The Truck Patch is in

The 2012 edition of Mary's truck patch, just
getting started.

Mary put the truck patch in a few weeks ago, but I’ve just been slow to post about it.  She always has great luck with tomatoes in the backyard in Alexandria, so of course she has a few plants going.  She also chose a few more pepper plants this year than last.  She’s planted yellow squash, and added a “Japanese eggplant” vine this year. 

A weekend harvest from last year.  I forgot about the okra.

We had a pretty good harvest last year – it supplemented the great bounty we got at the Luray-Page County Farmers Market.  We’ll look forward to enjoying it this year too.

Of course, this Saturday will be our first visit to the Farmers Market in Luray this year, so we’re looking forward to it – and I will put up a post next week!