The Thrill of the Grill - Lamb Kebabs

We are almost out of time. Summer is drawing to a close, and another year of school starts again next week. Where does the time go? Each day is a blur of activities, playing, swimming, reading, and finally, bedtime. But in between there is always time for summer grilling. Growing up, as the heat of August crept up on us, my mother would not want to cook or bake anything in the kitchen. She loved to spend time on the patio, carefully grilling and then relaxing on her special patio swing. Now with Poet and Flower, we've kept up this tradition. As they run and play in the backyard, we give the kitchen a rest and turn to the grill for a simple summer dinner.

Grilling is almost like a ritual. My mother would do it the same way every time. She loved charcoal grilling and each summer would buy a few bags of charcoal briquettes. Slowly and carefully she would make a mountain of these briquettes, carefully building a little architectural masterpiece. Then she would strategically put newspaper in between them and light it. She would blow on specific areas and move the charcoal around until she had just the right fire going. My mother did this for years, until she bought a fancy charcoal chimney that simplified things.

As a kid, I remember vividly one of our school outings. Each family had to make an outdoor fire and prepare a simple meal. I was a kid and didn't have the foggiest idea of how to make a meal outdoors. But all my mom's years of grilling and cooking made it seem so easy. She had brought eggs, potatoes, and a very heavy castiron skillet. She expertly built a small fire, put on a cast iron pan, waited until it was smoking hot, and soon we had scrambled eggs and grilled potatoes. I remember being so impressed by this simple meal. For me, it was one of my first memories of the joy of food.

This week I made grilled lamb kebabs. Tender cubes of lamb are marinated with cumin, garlic, and a touch of red chili. Marinate them for an hour, then skewer them with fresh summer vegetables - eggplant, zucchini, and green peppers. I love using boneless leg of lamb as it is tender and so flavorful. Arrange them in a row on a medium-hot grill, and in just a few minutes, you have a delicious dinner. The smoky, spicy lamb is perfectly balanced with grilled summer vegetables. You can grill almost anything, and lamb comes out succulent and delicious.

If you want to beat the heat this summer, turn on the grill and try it out. You just might like it.

Lamb Kebabs

A simple marinade of cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes is perfect for summer grilling. Grilled or baked, these lamb kebabs are easy and delicious. Grilled with summer vegetables - eggplant, zucchini or green peppers, it makes a perfect dinner.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 pound boneless leg of lamb (cut into 3 inch pieces)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 green pepper (cut into quarters)
• 1 red pepper (cut into quarters)
• 1 zucchini (cut into 2 inch pieces)

1. Heat a gas grill over medium heat for about 15 minutes. If baking in the oven, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, garlic, salt, red chili flakes and olive oil. Toss the lamb in the marinade and set aside for 1 hour in the refridgerator.
3. Thread four skewers alternating vegetables with the lamb. Place on the grill and grill over medium high approximately 4-5 minutes each side for medium done lamb. If you are baking them in the oven, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes turning once.
4. Serve warm with naan and yogurt chutney.