Weekend Dinner Ideas

Happy Memorial Day weekend eve, and what a weekend it is to try to plan. Grilling obviously has to be a feature, but with the threat of afternoon storms we've been having, it would also help to be flexible enough to move indoors if needed. Since the severity of the threat seems to be decreasing, we'll start with an indoor plan for tonight, saving the first grilling for tomorrow. Having recently done a trip where I developed an appreciation for fresh fish very simply prepared, usually with some version of potato on the side, tonight will be a simple saute of either fresh Alaskan cod or fresh albacore tuna steak, which are both only $7.99 a pound at Lucky's Market in both Boulder and Longmont. Buttermilk mashed potatoes make a nice comfort side.

We'll hope to get out on the grill for tomorrow, turning again to the fish specials at Lucky's, since they are advertising first of the season fresh wild king salmon for just $14.99 a pound at the Longmont store, $15.99 a pound at the Boulder one. With a price that good this early in the season, I'm afraid availability may be a problem, but that would be easily solved by doing cod tonight and the albacore tuna on the grill tomorrow if so. A caprese salad also comes to mind for a side, given Whole Foods' excellent weekend sale on fresh mozzarella, and the Longmont Lucky's has organic romas for just 98 cents a pound.

I won't admit to Sunday's plan, as it's something we've already done twice since fresh corn first appeared a few weeks ago, but I want it so I'm going to do it. It will also help work on my remaining stock of frozen roasted chiles from last year's season before it's time for this year's.

Back to the grill for Memorial Day on Monday, of course. With boneless skinless chicken breasts an extraordinary $1.88 a pound at the Longmont Lucky's (they're on sale for $5.99 a pound at the Boulder store, to show you how good that Longmont price is), I'm thinking of grilled chicken and ratatouille from Bon Appetit. This is also something that can be made in quantity for convenient leftovers

Which will get us through what will hopefully be a pleasant Memorial weekend. At least my basil's going to get planted!