A Fall Evening

Sometimes, an impromptu, informal gathering knocks even the most well thought out party off it's feet.  Add grilled meat, vegetables, bread, wine and great friends, and it seems that the whole world is standing still, waiting for you to take the first bite.  As I walked up my friend's driveway, with a couple of bags of farmer's market vegetables, some sirloin steak, and various sausages, the smell of fall in the air made me love drunk.  The nights are getting shorter here in Minneapolis, the air was stinging my nose with the smell of falling leaves and the slight aroma of someone burning a fire in their back yard, the smells that bring you back to your childhood, playing outside for the last few times before it was too cold to bare.
I could already hear the staccato beats of laughter and silence that comes from a party whose life had taken on that of it's own.  The faint sounds of jazz music was playing over the radio as the light of the last sunbeams of the day danced across the now wilting garden that once flourished with another season's vegetables and herbs.  There were barely six of us foodies, but all were ready for an impromptu grilling session.
As I started the wood burning, readying the coals, I heard the sound of a cork pop.  It was a Spanish red night.  The deep, rich, almost jammy flavors of the wine, seemed to compliment the fire burning in the corner.  I marinated our steak in a simple olive oil, garlic and fennel frawn marinade.  I feel that simple, less complicated things always end up tasting better, then a fussed over dish that has fifty ingredients.  The simple and fresh flavors of garlic and fennel accentuate the grassy flavor of the beef.  Along with our beef, we grilled many fresh vegetables.  Eggplant, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, fennel and tomatoes to name a few, all fresh, and un-marinated.  "Not even olive oil?" you may ask?  No, olive oil must go on AFTER the vegetables are done, with the thought that people want to taste the fresh and fruity olive oil splashed over the crisp grilled veg, again keeping it simple.  Along with grilled bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic, this was the fall meal of the year.  Simplicity at it's best.  Sadly there are only a few more evenings left like this in Minneapolis.  Soon, we will all take to the indoors, and tuck into slow roasted meats and stews.  Maybe I am looking forward to that.  But being outside by a fire, eating an amazing meal with friends is hard to beat in my book of life.  My only regret?  Not bringing my camera...