Guess What I did While You Were Out At The Beach?

I patronize a specific green grocer just round the corner where I live and very often I see strands of these beauties lying tangled in a corner. Don't know what is this queer fascination of mine with green peppercorns, but everytime I chance to see their availability, I take a peek and caress them,the same way I caress my junk jewellery!( Pa always called me his gypsy dotter!)

Wondering if I need to go in for peppercorn management therapy? Bought a few home and shot them throughout the day- shots at night, at all angles :) I even managed to toy around with this particular strand and write my name with them...

 So, after I bought them, I rinsed them lightly and pat dried them and left them on my kitchen counter top for a couple of hours before I immersed them in brine and a few lemon wedges. Why lemon wedges? Well, I thought that was a combo made in...heaven? Nah! I am not familiar with that place...concocted in the space in my head, I just needed to execute it well and come up with a few recipes. Will jot down one recipe here, another recipe is for Yentha.com...which I am yet to write, have taken all the pics already!

So this brine solution with its contents went right into the fridge after two days of marination :)

 Finally, I did grind them all and got a nice, grainy,green paste. Surely these unripe green peppers(drupes) are less tart than the black ones and I thought this made a fascinating marinade...I just needed a fine occasion to prove that...Voila! the day rather evening happened.

 A couple of foodies, food bloggers, food photographers,food aficionados and like-minded people were all planning a Cook Out by the beach...really wanted to gatecrash, mark my attendance and sponge in the effervescence, excitement,exuberance and all things nice that the entire lot had been TOM TOMMING over the social networking platform that we all share...but, Houston! I have a problem...I am scared of beaches,scared of water, some weird phobia....scared of the chill in the evening air which would further trigger my asthma....If only the beach would come to me or there was a change of venue...SIGH!...and the distance and the timing kept me indoors :( stoking the fire at home.

 Hence, almost sounding like the fox and sour grapes...I had my Cook-In while they had their Cook- Out.

My radio played in the backdrop, donned my shocking red, striped apron and got busy...so for the veggies, I just marinated the lot in a thick batter made wih some flour mixed with corn flour,water, salt and a chicken 65 spicy masala powder, You can use besan/gram flour if you wish instead of flour.

There are stores that provide the whole nine yards!-"the ready to dip your veggie of choice and fry" flour powders, one does not need to add any spice or salt. When you do use ready made spices, do read the ingredients, some do have salt in them!

I also shred a few curry leaves and added it to the batter. Placed all the baby corns  neatly skewered and marinated for an hour or two in the fridge and later on my griddle, I just lightly grilled them in olive oil. Kept flipping throughout so that the corn would be evenly charred/grilled! An accomplishment indeed! Didn't get that charred effect...but I was close!

But I did wonder how the guys at the beach were doing...yeah there were enviable pics this morning!pics of drool-worthy food, burning coal, live music and the smell of nature-the sand,the salt and the sea! I could almost hear the guitar in the backdrop and hear the waves of the surging sea! SIGH again!so much for wild imaginations!

Don't these resemble fireworks/sparklers ready to be set on fire?...Hey!I smell the fire in my belly now, Geez!

 T'was just sonny and me chez nous...and the imp has to have his chicken, so now you know where the green peppercorn paste got massaged into. I did add some apple cider vinegar,ginger garlic paste as well to the green paste along with some ground cashewnuts and did check if the salt was Ok...everything seemed fine! Did drizzle in some olive oil as well as basted the chicken drumsticks with honey as I grilled the chicken on a simmering heat on the stove on my griddle adjusting the heat from time to time...

 They looked picture perfect, wondering if it would seduce my son's taste buds, they did! saw him lurking around for more.

 I stuck to the skewered baby corns...wanted to feel light in the tummy! (yeah, rite!did do some midnight snacking-Nigella Lawson, move over please, it's my fridge!)

I was also a bit apprehensive that the fish and meat would be marinated together at the beach Cook Out, I am allergic to fish :(...the biggest tragedy especially if you knew from which state I came from!

So all that hype in cyberspace and the sheer bitter truth that I can't breathe in too much smoke or take in the chill in the air, extracted all my creative juices in the form of a recipe...Thus my Lemon-Green Pepper Corn Chicken took birth and my Curry leaves Coated Corn on the skewers meandered its way through our stomachs and as a recipe.

 Serve it hot! piping hot! great for the winter chill in the air!

Grateful for that inspiration Ramki et al. Thank u CFG!

There's an Italian Proverb that goes like this..."At the table with good friends and family, you do not become old." Well, neither of us were at the table, you members were at the beach with the loosening sand under your feet and the salty sea water on your lips,the crackling of glowing coal and the charring of your veggies and meat...and Pauvre Moi... with my platter of homemade goodies lying flat on my tummy(read flabby one but desperately working on it) typing away my inconsistent recipe!

Cheers People!
As for moi...Miles to cook before I sleep!Zzzzzzzzzz