What say’s summertime like food on a stick? Uh, aside from a picnic on the concert lawn listening to the symphony as the sun sets or the smell of charred marshmallows and sand in your toes… not much! So, let’s get this done!

Ingredients

• 1 pd fresh shrimp, tails and veins removed
• 1 basket cherry tomatoes
• 1 large zucchini, chopped into thick chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped into large chunks (note: don’t get white or red onion. It has to be mild and sweet or the flavor is too overpowering.)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Prep

• Soak the skewers for 30 minutes if using wood. Metal skewers are good to go.
• In the meantime, prep your marinade by combining the oil, vinegar, and minced garlic in a square casserole dish. It needs to be large enough to accommodate the length of the skewer. With a fork, whisk together briskly.
• When the skewers sticks are ready, thread your shrimp, tomatoes, onion chunks, and zucchini in a repeating pattern.
• Place the skewers into the marinade and rotate the skewers a few times to make sure they get fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge to marinate for about 10 minutes. The goal is just to let the shrimp and zucchini absorb a little of the vinegar for more robust flavor.
• Once they are ready to grill, dust each skewer with salt and pepper on both sides and throw them on the bar-by! You only need to grill each skewer for about 3-4 minutes per side. You want the veggies a little charred and the shrimp to be translucent.

You can serve them on a bed of rice, couscous, or angel hair pasta. I would just caution not to get into a flavor competition. Lightly season your starch with a little butter, salt, and grated parmesan cheese and let the shrimp do the talking.

Note: If you are like me and don’t own an outdoor grill, don’t despair! Summer grilling is not lost to you! I own a flat, cast iron grill and I fricken LOVE it. You can order them from Amazon or Crate and Barrel and you will be pleasantly surprised at the economy of cast iron cookware. Just stay away from that crazy enamel-coated stuff that Le Creuset sells. I am sure it’s delightful and high quality and if you have 300 dollars to spend on ONE pot, that’s your deal. But standard cast iron does the same thing and is equally non-stick if you are cooking with plenty of oil, which treats and seasons the iron while you grill, fry, and sauté. Over time the cast iron builds up this amazing flavor to add to your food. Enamel-coated cast iron cookware will never do that for you.  

~Nom On