Sunday Cookout: Vegetarian “Beef” Tacos.

Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking: Tacos for a cookout?

Well … not really.  In fact, all weekend LeeLee and I had been looking forward to grilling beer brats with all the fixins.  But upon opening the grill at 6:30 this evening, to begin cooking, I was dismayed to see that my ash dump had turned into a concrete pit, soaked as it was in a mix of ash and three-day-old rainwater, a casualty of Friday morning’s deluge. 

I calmly removed the ash dump and, well, dumped the standing water.  But the cement-like ash residue remained, all soggy and clumpy and sad.

As is my way, I took matters into my own hands – literally – and began beating on the back of the ash dump in an attempt to dislodge the wet cement.  No dice.  I slammed it (half out of necessity, half in frustration) onto the patio.  No dice.  That cement had begun to gel, and I knew I was fighting a losing battle.

So I evaluated my options.  How to grill sans ash dump?  I even consulted the wide expanse of the Internet’s barbecue knowledge, to no avail.  An ash dump, it would appear, is a very useful thing to have when generating ashes (and, before that, fire) in a grill.

It took me about 25 minutes to concede defeat, but once I did, it was all systems go toward Plan B.  As LeeLee prepared the back yard for our feast – we may not be grilling tonight, but we were still going to enjoy the nice weather! – I heated up some ground “beef” in one pan, some refried beans in another, and got some rice started in the rice cooker.  As everything simmered away, I chopped up some onion, cherry tomato, fresh lettuce and cilantro from the garden, and some black olives.  Once the rice was finished, so was everything else (I’d put the taco shells in the oven about 5 minutes before dinnertime), and we prepared our plates and carted them outside to enjoy al fresco.

Our menu items may have changed, but the tacos were still quite tasty!  We mowed everything down with the usual fervor and were both so pleased to learn that in the end we had lots left over for lunch tomorrow.  And those beer brats?  They’ll be making an entrance soon themselves – just as soon as my ash dump dries out.

:)