Fun With Yellow Rice and Veggies

Hello blogworld! I have been unplugged for several days, recharging my batteries I suppose but a lazy Sunday afternoon with an eye on the tropics has provided me with the inspiration to do some blogging. That and the more practical need to do something with last weeks harvest and bounty from the Farmers Market. I was looking for something creative to serve along with some great barbecued chicken done on the grill and since the family loves yellow rice and I had some zuchinni squash that I needed to use up, I thought I would try and create a sort of pilaf style dish using zuchinni, shredded carrots and chopped onion.

I started with a medium size zuchinni and cut it in half lengthwise then sliced the halves very thin. Grated some carrot, chopped 1/4 of a Palmetto Sweet Onion and grabbed a bag of yellow rice from the pantry. The directions for the rice call for using water and butter, so I decided to saute the veggies in the butter for about 5 minutes before adding the water and a couple teaspoons of chicken bouillon to the pot. I brought the water and vegetable broth to a boil, then added the yellow rice, reduced the heat to and covered the rice and vegetables to allow for 20 minutes of simmering while I turned my attention to the grill.

I want to tell you about a great local barbecue sauce made in North Charleston that I have been buying every Saturday morning at the Summerville Farmers Market. It is called Southern Comfort Cooking Team and is some of the best darn cue sauce I have ever had. Just the right amount of sweet, tang and spice all mixed together, perfectly. The label touts "Taste The Difference" and you can. Try some out, you can thank me later.

You can't go wrong with grilled barbecue chicken, a tasty rice dish and some fresh ears of silver queen corn, especially if you add a glass of Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Reseve Cab 2001. Too bad for me though, I've got to work tonite so I passed on the wine.

As for TS Irene, she is churning up strength down around the islands tonite, we have an eye on her and are hoping she hasn't been reading about what a wonderful place The Land of Palm Trees is to visit. Preparation, it is a part of living here and if you live in Paradise, you get a hurricane prep guide and you plan for it. We won't have to worry too much though at least for a couple more days.

So whether you are in The Land of Palm Trees or safe and secure several hundred miles inland, hope you have a great Sunday Evening and an even better week.