Labor Day 2022

Labor Day means less to me now than when I was actively working, even though I never really had the chance to celebrate it when I was working. At the restaurant, Monday was a workday for me and at the winery, Labor Day was a decent retail sales day, so no day off for me. But now, it is a chance to celebrate the end of summer. Ann and I both thought that we should do something a little out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary means meat, which doesn't figure frequently in our diet.

And what better way to celebrate Labor Day than by hitting the grill? Silly me, I forgot we were out of propane, but that comes in a few sentences. We both love great sausages on the grill and recently we have found Bangers and Brews, a local eatery that makes (and retails!) great dogs. Up until now, we have been disappointed in the local sausages. A few trips to Bangers and Brews has solidified for us that their andouille is one of our favorites and so last week, we visited, had a choripan and an andouille, and bought a pound of andouille to bring home with us.

Andouille, Smoked and Spicy

We both love peppers and onions on our sausages, so I picked up extra onions and poblanos at the grocery store, poblano being the only mild green pepper I use (aside from a random Anaheim). I really do not care for the assertive flavor of green bell peppers. When I went to hit the grill on the afternoon of Labor Day, I realized that we were out of propane. Like duh, the empty propane tank is in the house sitting by the back door!

Poblanos and Yellow Onions

So plan B: hit the stove. We decided to eat late afternoon because we had plans to hear a band that evening, doors open at six. We were watching a movie on TV, Casablanca maybe?, and while watching that, I started the onions and peppers cooking. It takes a half an hour or so to get them meltingly tender. Meanwhile, I put the andouille in a dry pan over low heat and let them take their time in browning and getting warm and crispy.

Because our dogs were bunless and we wanted to eat them on the sofa while watching the movie, I sliced them, put the slices in a bowl, topped them with a big pile of peppers and onions, and then slathered on a gracious plenty of chimichurri from a batch I made last week to eat on carne asada.

Andouille, Onions and Peppers, Chimichurri

Recipe: Chimichurri

Folks, chimichurri is not a constant thing that can be captured in a one-size-fits-all recipe. It is a loose sauce that everyone wings based on an inexact formula and everyone's version is no doubt slightly different. I am sure people measure ingredients, but I've never seen it. Following is an idea of how I made mine this time. In looking back at my recipe from 2008 on the restaurant blog, I see that even I am not consistent in how I make it. Whatever! It's all good!

1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and finely chopped

1 bunch parsley, stemmed and finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 large shallot, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon Greek (not Mexican) oregano

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients well. Taste for acid and oil balance. I like my sauce fairly tart, but tartness depends on the acidity in the vinegar and all vinegar is different. Here, I have specified one part vinegar to three parts oil. I generally make it closer to 1:2 or sometimes 1:1. If your chimi is too tart, add more oil. Too oily, add more vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, spice, and oregano as you desire.

Some people like a more fluid sauce, some people like more solids. This version is more solid heavy. If you want closer to a vinaigrette, double the amount of liquids in the sauce. It's easy! Go nuts!

Labor Day Concert

On Monday afternoons, our recent habit is to go to Silver Moon Brewing to partake of half-price beers on locals day. But we skipped it on Labor Day in favor of going later in the day to see a band. They have an outdoor concert space that they call the Moon Room and they book small acts to play there from time to time. It really is a fun place to watch decent bands.

For Labor Day, Silver Moon had booked a group from the Bay Area called Proud Mary, a four woman group self-billed as the gayest CCR tribute band. Even if our kids have never heard of CCR, who in our age bracket doesn't love CCR?

Proud Mary on Stage

Gonzo Girl!

A Horse Great Dane

We had a wonderful time and the band really was a lot of fun and pretty talented too. Moreover, we met a lot of people who aren't the usual crowd that we see on Monday, including a couple of guys who just moved to Bend from New Mexico just seven days prior. We made plans later in the week to show them a couple of our favorite breweries and food trucks. But most of all, we enjoyed the huge and young brindled Great Dane pictured above. He towered above the table at which we were seated and every now and then, I would get a big old slobbery muzzle in my face. We really miss our two dogs Grace and Charlie who we have lost in the past year.